Avro Vulcan XH558 – A Final Farewell to Cleethorpes June 2015.

This photograph captures Avro Vulcan XH558 during her final appearance at the Cleethorpes Air Show in June 2015. By then it had already been announced that 2015 would be her last flying season, and those gathered along the seafront knew they were witnessing the Vulcan’s final display over Cleethorpes.

Introduced into Royal Air Force service in 1956, the Vulcan became one of the most iconic aircraft of the Cold War. Its revolutionary delta-wing design, immense power and unmistakable Olympus engine note made it one of the most recognisable military aircraft ever built. Following an extraordinary restoration to flight in 2007, XH558 became the world’s last airworthy Vulcan, delighting millions of people at air displays throughout the United Kingdom.

The atmosphere at Cleethorpes that day was unlike any previous visit. Alongside the excitement and admiration was an unmistakable sense of farewell. Many spectators had travelled long distances to see XH558 once more, fully aware that this would be her last appearance over the Lincolnshire coast. As the great delta-wing bomber swept overhead, cheers echoed across the promenade, while for many the occasion was a deeply emotional one.

Just four months later, on 28 October 2015, XH558 made her final flight, bringing to a close almost sixty years of Vulcan flying. This photograph preserves not only Britain’s last flying Vulcan, but also a remarkable moment when thousands gathered at Cleethorpes to bid farewell to a much-loved national icon.