Vickers Varsity

I did my advanced flying training on the Varsity at RAF Oakington, we used Waterbeach as a relief landing groound. It was a joy to fly, with 2400 set and take off flap you could turn on a sixpence! My only bad recollection is of one trainee crew landing short of the runway. The deceleration was so rapid that both pilots were killed by their lungs detaching and crushing their hearts! After finishing the course I was sent to RAF Strubby to coilot for people going through the school of refresher flying. This waqs wonderful as most were second world war pilots and I met some true heroes like Cyclops Brown who had lost an eye in combat. After I became the first to posted on to the Vulcan B2 as a copilot. There had been problems with pilots going on them from the Gnat as they had no experience of flying with a crew and at the time the rear crew on Vulcans were very sensitive about their survival if they had to bale out at low level an almost impossible task. I would later go on to be one of the youngest to command a Vulcan crew and the Varsity training was a key factor in this. A truy remarkable aircraft which did its job very well with little fuss and does not get the acclaim it deserves.

reply

I have very happy memories of the Varsity we used to get 4 hr trips out of RAF Topcliffe over the North Sea to Wick and return overland to Topcliffe. We would get intercepted by Lightings and Phantoms out of RAF Leuchars. This was when I was a cadet with 110 City of York Sqn

reply

I was lucky enough to work as an engine fitter on the Varsity from 1972 to 1974 while stationed at RAF OAKINGTON, I was fortunate enough to do many flights in the aircraft, usually training flight from Oakington to Berlin and once to Malta which was a very long flight in a Varsity. I moved over to the Jetstream which was being phased in to service as a replacement to the Varsity.

reply

whilst a cadet with 461 atc chichester l used to bunk school to go flying in Signals command varsities at Tangmere. Fantastic plane to fly in most trips were radar calibration jobs.

reply

I flew the Varsity from RAF Strubby in 1972 on a Piston multi engine refresher course, prior to a tour in Germany on the Percival Pembroke. My memories are changing gear on the supercharger in the climb (M gear and S gear) the only aircraft I have flown where I had to change gear! I also had a lightning strike on the pitot head (about 2 ft away from my left knee) it made me jump a bit! It also magnetised the aircraft so we had to do a no compass recovery through cloud as the compasses were all pointing at the left wing tip.

reply

I was an ATC cadet on a 2 week camp at Gaydon around 1968. One night they took three of us up in a Varsity to the south coast, over Cornwall to the Scillies, onward towards Ireland and then back to base. We took turns to lay in the Gondola. Our job was to serve hot cocoa from the largest thermos flask I have ever seen to navig trainees. I'll never forget that trip.

reply

I was at RAF Swinderby late 1952 for 3 months with 201 AFS as a Navigator and enjoyed flying in the Varsity.

I am Chairman of the RAF Swinderby Association & we welcome new members based at Swinderby up to closure in 1993.

reply

as an air cadet with 1451 squadron based at Haverhill I have great memories of doing circuits and bumps in a Varsity at RAF Stradishall in 1968.
A wonderful old plane.

reply

I love this aircraft. When I was a boy in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire they were based a few miles away at RAF Strubby until its closure in 1972 I think. I well remember the chubby things lumbering around the local skies; a pure touch of nostalgia to see one again.

reply

they used to look fantastic in the 6FTS livery.The sound of those Bristol Hercules engines lumbering over was great. They are sorely missed.

reply

I was an Engine fitter at Oakington from 1961 to 1964 and worked in ASF on both Vampire T11s and the Varsity. We carried out all scheduled serving apart from Majors. Biggest job for us was plug changes: 14 cylinders meant 28 plugs and 28 HT lead ends all needing to be torque loaded and wire locked, sometimes the lead ends would be and the plug would turn as well, this meant a complete rewire of that part of the ignition harness, I loved it.

reply

I was posted to RAF Stradishall, No1 ANS to work on Varsitys. Had many hours flying in the bomb aimers position, and met some great people. Now going to make a scale model of the beast, for old times sake.

reply

i used to work at brooklands aviation,at northamton.who used to referbish varsities and valletas

reply

I worked on Varsity at RAF Stradishall around 1967 when they were used for navigator trainers. I remember landing at RAF Gibralta in one while laying in the bombaimer's position, I will never do that again! A noisy, dirty, fun beast to work on.

reply

I only flew in the Varsity once. That was when we had a Bomber Command Mickey Finn exercise, and I had to be flown from Boscombe Down to Wattisham. I was the only passenger. Rather expensive exercise.

reply

as a young boy i used to watch varsities at finningley and they became my all time favourite aircraft, they used to look fantastic in the 6FTS livery.The sound of those Bristol Hercules engines lumbering over was great. They are sorely missed.

reply

as a young boy i used to watch varsities at finningley and they became my all time favourite aircraft, they used to look fantastic in the 6FTS livery.The sound of those Bristol Hercules engines lumbering over was great. They are sorely missed.

reply

As a child I grew up under the downwind leg of RAF Oakington, with Varsities flying over at 1000 feet day and night. I grew to love this ugly duckling. At night you could see twin beams from the underwing spotlights, and I remember how the beams swung to point vertically down as the lights retracted

reply