Summary

• Five preserved Avro Vulcans are displayed at or near UK airports, providing public access for tours and education.
• Doncaster Sheffield Airport is home to the most notable preserved Vulcan, XH558, which flew displays until 2015.
• Other UK airports, such as East Midlands Airport, Norwich Airport, and London Southend Airport, also house preserved Vulcans, offering visitors the chance to see them up close.

While the likes of London Heathrow, Birmingham, and Manchester dominate British aviation, the UK is home to numerous smaller but equally important airports. Interestingly, several of these have become homes for preserved examples of the legendary Avro Vulcan bomber. Let's look at which of these passenger-centric facilities also house the delta-winged jet.

All in all, 19 examples of the Vulcan have been preserved from a total production output of 134 aircraft plus two prototypes. Fifteen are located in the UK, with the others being in the US (three aircraft) and Canada (one example). Five UK-based preserved Vulcans are presently on display at or by commercial airports and are periodically available for the public to tour.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Situated in South Yorkshire, Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) is home to arguably the most notable example of the Avro Vulcan. Registered as XH558, this example of the famous strategic bomber was the last to have been airworthy, and it flew displays until 2015.

XH558 was based at DSA for the last four years of its flying career and has remained there since its final flight. The Vulcan To The Sky Trust now hopes to set up a facility at the airport to allow visitor access. In the meantime, the jet remains in a taxiable condition. The future of Vulcan is up in the air again as the airport was closed in 2022. However, there is hope of a lifeline for the site.

As of the beginning of 2024, The Vulcan To The Sky Trust is planning the dates for visits to XH558 in 2024 and is liaising with the landowner to get these in place. Noting how important the aircraft is to education, the Trust expressed its desire to keep the aircraft accessible to the public:

"Like all Vulcan supporters, everyone at Vulcan to the Sky Trust has huge affection for ‘558. Rest-assured, the care and protection of Vulcan XH558 remains at the forefront of our decision making. Our aim and ambition is to be able to show her off to her fans, old and new, for many years to come.

"We want this iconic aircraft to be a catalyst to inspire young people into careers in engineering and other STEM-related roles."

There are currently attempts to return the airport to an operational facility, but the aircraft is unlikely to fly again. Any move to a new storage site would require dismantling the aircraft and transporting it by ground to its new home.

East Midlands Airport

Around an hour's drive to the south of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, another Vulcan sits proudly on display at East Midlands Airport (EMA). Registered as XM575, it forms part of the collection of planes at the East Midlands Aeropark to the northwest of the site.

XM575 has been on display at East Midlands for nearly four decades, having made its final flight there in January 1983. Plans to move the aircraft to Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome for display never came to fruition. As such, XM575 has remained at East Midlands ever since.

Throughout the winter season, the Aeropark is only open on Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00, with the last entry at 14:00. The summer season for 2024 will start with a full four days at Easter from Good Friday through to Easter Monday, then revert to opening on Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and bank holidays from 11:00 to 17:00 up to the end of October.

Norwich Airport

Adjacent to Norwich Airport (NWI), the City of Norwich Aviation Museum houses a Vulcan registered as XM612. Much like the East Midlands example, this particular bomber has been in place since 1983. The museum bought it for £5,026 (£17,812 or $23,996 today) on January 19th of that year, and it arrived in Norwich from RAF Waddington 11 days later.

Interestingly, XM612 isn't the only Avro aircraft displayed at the City of Norwich Aviation Museum. Indeed, it also houses an ex-CityJet RJ85 airliner. As Simple Flying recently explored, this aircraft was lifted from the airport to the museum by a crane.

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Throughout the winter, the museum is open on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10:00 to 16:00 and Sundays from 11:00 to 15:00, with the last entry one hour before closing.

London Southend Airport

The fourth example of the Avro Vulcan presently displayed at a UK commercial airport is XL426. Based at London Southend Airport (SEN), this is one of three preserved Vulcans that remains in a taxiable condition. You can see it in action in the video below.

The taxi displays allow spectators to get a feel for the aircraft's power. These will reportedly continue until the mid-2030s. Members of the public can visit for regularly scheduled Visit the Vulcan Days throughout the year. XL426 has been at Southend for 35 years, having touched down there for the final time on December 19th, 1986.

Carlisle Lake District Airport

Carlisle Lake District Airport (CAX) in northwest England is home to the Solway Aviation Museum, which, in turn, houses an Avro Vulcan B.2 registered as XJ823. This example of the iconic aircraft has been in Carlisle since January 1983, when it arrived following its use as a standby aircraft during the Falklands War.

As for Carlisle Lake District Airport, this facility has unfortunately not seen any scheduled passenger services since Loganair withdrew from the facility at the beginning of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

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The museum is set to reopen to the public on March 22nd, after which it will be open from 10:30 to 17:00 (last entry at 16:15) on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and every English Bank Holiday Monday until October 27th.

How many of these airports have you used? Have you ever seen one of the preserved Vulcans on your travels? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.