Rare ride inside the world's last airworthy Vulcan

When the Avro Vulcan first took to the skies on 1 August 1952, it marked a departure from traditional aircraft design and function, at a time when Britain was facing nuclear threats from the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
The jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber was the main British contribution to the Nato strategic nuclear deterrent and formed part of the V-Bomber triumvirate which included the Vickers Valiant and the Handley Page Victor.
"We were the ones protecting this country from Soviet attack," says Martin Withers DFC, Chief Pilot at Vulcan to the Sky, who has been flying the planes since 1971.
"It's a lovely aeroplane to fly because it's got big engines, big flying controls, it can turn at low speed, it doesn't fall out of the sky even at 50,000 feet, so it could outmanoeuvre any fighter of the era."
The V-Bombers also made their mark during the Falklands war, leading the Black Buck attacks on Port Stanley airbase.
However in 1993 the Vulcan was grounded, much to the dismay of thousands of the plane's fans, including Dr Robert Pleming, chief executive ofVulcan to the Sky, who in 1997 began to process of returning the Vulcan to the skies.
"It was an amazing engineering achievement and I thought it was possible to return her to flight," says Robert.
In 2007, ten years later, and at a cost of £7 millon, the last airworthy Vulcan flew again.
Now, the bomber relies on charitable donations from the public to keep her in flight and can be regularly be seen at displays and tours across the country.
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