Vickers Vanguard lands at Brooklands -- The incredible story

On the 17th of October 1996 the worlds only surviving Vanguard Merchantman G-APEP called Superb made its last ever flight into Brooklands. This may not seem very surprising as Vanguards flew in and out of Brooklands all the time, back in the days when they were building them there. However, now the Runway had been cut in half by the new road - Wellington Way. Also, the airfield had not been an operational field for many years and offered many challenges to the crew!
At the time I was Managing director of National Rescue and had been planning to movie the aircraft by road. I was very pleased when Peter and Gary said the could fly it in. So they went off and practised short landings at the Aircrafts base at East Midlands Airport, while we put a plan together to close a busy industrial estate down, during the landing. This video shows you what happened on the day, from my vantage point up in the Control Tower.
There have been several comments about why were the holes not covered up and the answer is simple, the aircraft was not supposed to go anywhere near the road much less the tree holes. Steel plates etc. were considered but they would have slid on the grass anyway and just filling the hole without compacting would not have worked. You have to remember this is a Charity and it was out of the kindness and generosity of Trafalgar House that the trees were temporally moved out the way to improve the approach to the runway some 100m further on.
NOTE: If you enjoy the videos I produce please take a moment to 'like' and even better 'subscribe' to the channel, it helps us grow. Also remember the best index to my work (divided in subject playlist) can be found at www.andysvideo... where you will find more footage of this aircraft, plus a lot more.

[@stevenmedlock7580]

i think this one of the best videos on utube...

[@AndysVideo]

Thanks Steve I do try to make them interesting. Look out for the Brooklands VC10 going doing power runs on the Runway at Dunsfold Wings and Wheels, which I will be posting in the next couple of days.

[@bmused55]

Always a melancholy moment when watching a fully operation aircraft make it's last landing. Especially when it is the last of it's breed doing what it was designed to do.

[@michaelsmith697]

I agree. It was beautiful!

[@josephlambe2796]

I remember the merchantman flying over my house every night in Glasgow just after midnight, I loved the sound of those Tyne engines….😊😊

[@georgemartin4963]

The Vickers Vanguard was one of the most beautiful airlines here ever.

[@andrewlogan1555]

I worked for Hunting on the day this aircraft took off on its final flight. For a few days before, the crew practiced landing on East Midlands runway using special markers set for the allowed distance available

[@AndysVideo]

Yes the touch and goes were all perfect he just got a little keen on the final one!

[@josephlambe2796]

Brings back memories as a young plane spotter at Glasgow Airport, I could never sleep as a kid until I heard the merchant vanguard from BEA fly over my house just after midnight when it always roared over my house on the way to Heathrow, what a fkin engine sound….,,,great days….😊😊😊

[@Agamemnon1002]

Use to work in the stress office for what was BAe Aircraft Division Weybridge, until we were transferred to BAe Kingston. Best time of my career there as a young engineer working with the best.

[@agnostic47]

I lived within 300 yards of Brooklands until 2006. The museum was a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

[@freddysquirenaranjo4859]

I lived in Surbiton. My granny lived in Whiteley Village, very close to Brooklands from 1969 to 1999 we used to go visit her most Sundays via Brooklands most times! My mum would moan lol 😂 😂

[@jamesbanks5726]

Brilliant, visited Brooklands on the 27th Feb 2017 whilst staying with my brother in Woking, one of the guides showing us round the Sultans VC10 suggested we look up this video. All of the staff at Brooklands do a tremendous job, very polite, helpful and knowledgeable. My last visit was 2004/5, its amazing to see the massive improvements made since then. A real 'must see' if you are in the area.

[@AndysVideo]

Thanks James and can just add that you never know who your are talking to at Brooklands, many of the guides are extremely knowledgeable. When I first got involved recovering aircraft into the Museum there was an old boy cutting the grass and each time we brought in a new aircraft he would come over and chat knowledgeable about that Aircraft. I soon realised he was a clever man who must have worked on the planes and so inquired who he was. I was politely informed "Thats Jock Bryce the Test Pilot that piloted the maiden flights of all the Vickers prototypes right up till he retired and came back to Brooklands to keep the lawns tidy!

[@alangale5666]

It was an amazing sight to see, such a lovely aircraft. Glad she was saved from the scrappers.

[@threepot5874]

Impressive how quickly she stopped.

[@michaelsmith697]

The reverse thrusters were magnificent! I remember flying in a Viscount which used the reverse thrusters very effectively as well.

[@yuniyonson]

This was so poignant....I am 69 year old lady..and have loved Aircraft all my life....the great JOY for me,is that my German Grandson.....will follow in my Love for Aircraft..

[@myusername3689]

hello 75 year old person

[@andro7137]

I have a happy memory of my one flight on a Vanguard when they were on the Heathrow-Dyce (Aberdeen) route in 1970-something. It was lightly loaded, and we were asked if everyone would mind moving to first class where they could take better care of us. A pleasant, comfortable plane with a crew to suit. Changed times!

[@dufushead]

wow what a guy, what a crew, what a great achievement, well done and thanks for sharing it.

[@AndysVideo]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ianspencer1585]

A great tribute to both Pete ang Gary great skills needed and Echo Papa back home. RIP Pete.

[@AndysVideo]

Two lovely guys

[@chrisplunkett2814]

It never fails to amaze me that amongst other things they flew VC10s out of here!

[@grubberrn]

Thanks for the memories of the Vanguard and Weybridge Brooklands. I did my BEA Engineering Vanguard Corse back in the early 1960's at Weybridge and remember so well having a chat with Barnes Wallis.

[@breathtakingblue]

I used to see these as a teen at East Midlands as spotter and then as an employee. Air Bridge Cargo it was then. You'd hear the unique sound of the engines - amazing. Just listening to them in this video fills my head with so many great memories. Fantastic aircraft. 👍

[@DanielMasmanian]

Jesus that's some talent in the cockpit

[@ontheroadwithjohn]

having just been to England and sitting in the pilot seat of this aircraft, it was amazing to see the final flight and the flight crew of this great aircraft. its a final conclusion to a great visit to the Brooklands museum.

[@AndysVideo]

Glad you enjoyed it John. Plenty more about the Brooklands aircraft on my Channel. Come back soon.

[@haditjandradjaja8403]

Huge propeller aircraft always looks more interesting/tickle than jet.

[@mikeb5556]

Brings back memories; I worked at BAC Weybridge in my school and Uni holidays, when the Concorde fuselage and tail sections were being built. As a kid I also remember the maiden flight of the VC-10 taking off in the other direction, having to clear the power lines on its short hop to Wisley (what about 3miles?).

[@markfarmer1815]

My father worked there as well, 1-11s vc10s & concorde, rip dad x

[@johnentwhistlesurelysamsun1840]

I loved the vanguard and temember them flying in and out of Hearhrow as i lived not too far, there was also one that used to come into Gatwick over the weekends during june to september on the jersey service, i have only ever flown twice in one and that was Heathrow to Manchester and Glasgow to Heathrow , i wished i could have flown in more, they were used extensively for flying in and out of Europe and i stayed in a hotel on the fightpath to Dobrovnik then yugoslavia and one used to come in from London, it was a busy airport then Dubrovnik that is now of course croatia.

[@michaelamos4651]

Fantastic .Just visited the Vanguard. Great film . Well done to the crew and all the volunteers at Brooklands

[@4Engines4Fun]

It was said that the Vanguard had a tendency to drop like a rock when power was reduced, so I'm not surprised at its premature touchdown. I did log one passenger Vanguard in 1980 - very late in the game - on Europe Aero Service. The ship was F-BVUY, a Vanguard 952 built for Trans Canada Airlines as CF-TKU, and the 44th off the production line. I enjoyed the wide post-modern cabin design but not the low frequency, rumbling sound waves that traveled down the length of the fuselage. Looking back, I am happy to have gone out of my way for this unique experience.

[@Kevins-Philippine-Retirement]

As a Canadian, I remember when TCA (Trans Canada Airlines), later renamed Air Canada had several Vanguards and Viscounts. I had the privilege to frequently fly as a passenger on both aircraft. I was only young and loved visiting the flight deck. I rememberd, especially with the bigger Vanguard, how the wings would flap very noticeably in turbulence. Great memories.

[@retardtiger]

Wow, I worked at Brooklands in 1970, what an amazing story.

[@cyrilclark5167]

Great video - the first civil aircraft I ever flew in was a Vanguard of BEA, flyng from Heathrow to Zurich in 1962. A strip of the overhead trim came adrift during the landing and a fellow passenger and myself held it up until the aicraft had come to a halt.

[@Melon088]

I'm so happy to know that I've actually been inside that very plane. Wish it could fly again

[@moltderenou]

When I was in my early teens I flew from the U.K. to Mallorca in one. My father barged his way into the rear cabin, much to the annoyance of the chief steward !

[@charlesanzalone5846]

Used to watch these operated by AC in YYZ in the 70s , beautiful turbo prop airliner

[@stevenmedlock7580]

i worked on the vanguard when i was at bea my first aircraft i ever flew on was a vanguard i loved the the flight and i will never forget....

[@SaxJockey]

I was too late to experience flying on the Vanguard but remember it fondly when visiting the local airport as a kid (plus many other British Aircraft). Those huge windows (as on the Viscount) would have provided a great view. The Viscount seemed to be much more common....but the Vanguard, and the Bristol Brittania seemed to be more stately....those engines!

[@ClassicTrialsChannel]

I was working for Hunting cargo at EMA when we retired them. loaded them a few times when we got them in, instead of our usual L-188 Electra

[@b.r.buckeyeman460]

Instant reverse thrust, and stop in 200yds BRILLIANT.

[@anels9]

Aweosme video. I’ve read the vanguard was a powerhouse and very overpowered. Was very fast too

[@AndysVideo]

You are correct most of the later Vickers aircraft were built with short fields and heavy loads in mind.

[@anels9]

@@AndysVideo was the vanguard equivalent to the lockheed electra

[@TJ-USMC]

Great Airmanship !!!

[@07willows]

A fantastic record from a time when things were a lot more simple. I flew to Jersey from Manchester on a Vanguard: a truly fabulous aircraft. Big and comfortable. Great stuff!

[@johnbracher158]

Really interesting film. When I was a kid I remember watching Vanguards landing at Heathrow on runway 23 from my home in Southall.

[@billjenkins687]

Gentlemen, I thank you for this wonderful video.

[@whiskey1951]

I use to stand about 30 feet in front of this aircraft to do start up when she flew into Belfast International Airport, when all 4 engines were running and gpu disconnected the ground shook with the awesome power of engines.

[@andrewquirey7364]

John Martin n

[@halwise]

My first ever flight was on a Vickers Vanguard of BEA, Manchester to Palma De Mallorca in 1964. Also managed to fly in a Viscount and Bristol.Britannia before the jet age prevailed.

[@buffallobill007]

absolutely brilliant ,my first flight experince was vanguard operated by BEA glasgow to heathrow 1967 as a young boy brings back the thrill and wonderment, superb!

[@twigwonderkid]

I lived in Northern Ireland in the 60’s so only realistic way to get to London and onward was to fly. So I used to fly a few times a year back and forth by BEA on the Vanguard and Viscount. The windows were huge and I used to watch each engine being started and spun up until all 4 were running. In those days a flight information plan was written by the captain and it was passed around the cabin for the passengers to read. It was noisy on the landing I recall as they used the power of the engines to provide a reverse thrust.

[@DB-ug3pe]

Great to see. I used to go to Brooklands a lot when I was a child, I think my first visit must have been a year or so after this was shot. One telling thing though, I can't believe (sadly) that at a similar occasion today so many people would be wearing suits and ties!

[@jez952]

Absolutely Fabulous!! Thanks so much Andy for finally releasing this video. I so much wanted to be there that day but was abroad. Now I see why you and a few others probably didn't want this out on the day. I had the priviledge and honour to fly this a/c back from Vienna one night when it was with BA. And I was on its delivery flight to Castle Donnington to ABC. I absolutely love the Vanguard and if I ever win the lottery would happily pay to get this one back in the air whatever cost !. Thanks

[@tomkent4656]

I once flew on a Hunting Vanguard in the 1950s. Great to see this clip.

[@scammellman71]

Hi all, i remember this very well, i worked at Lex Rover/ Weybridge Automobiles at the time, im sure it was kept hush hush to avoid crowds forming if memory serves me . Great video cheers.

[@billwalbek1911]

AWESOME. Hats off to the crew!

[@AndysVideo]

Totally agree

[@talesfromthehutandhangar]

Great stuff. A fine aircraft 🙂

[@AndysVideo]

Many thanks!

[@craigpennington1251]

You mean that there's only (1) left? Crazy. They need to bring these and a few other turbo props back.

[@shipstelevision109]

Amazing Video... I visited Brooklands today, wonderful place!

[@SpencerJones01]

Not sure WOW does it justice. A really great Video showing these wonderfull old propliners up close. Thanks for posting Andy

[@andrewquirey7364]

This old plane should be loved cherished she was a lovely job one of the real classics but sometimes overshadowed by the viscount.

[@lawomega1]

Brilliant , I was a BEA and BA A/C engineer ,nice to work on ,good solid Vickers built ,beautifully designed ,it had a very good pedigree ,oh those were the days ,now im out to pasture to just like the old Vanguard.

[@AndysVideo]

Thank you indeed for those nice words. I expect you may find some of my other videos of interest in that case. Regards Andy

[@meadroad]

Walked up & down that vanguard today at brooklands, as we were on the 'Concorde champagne' tour.... Very interesting & worth a visit.

[@colmok3]

Many thanks for a wonderful video! This reminded of when I saw a BEA Vanguard make a very hairy landing in Dublin in 1966. I was 11 years old at the time. I watched the Vanguard come in to land but it seemed to just float over the runway. It must have been at least 2/3rds of the way down the runway when it finally touched down. I was convinced that it was about to crash. I still remember the smoke and roar of the engines in reverse thrust and the nose dipping as the pilot braked very hard, maybe as hard as the pilot seemed to do in this video.

[@latimeralder1]

ouch...that was close. I cycle down that way most days...must check to see if there's any lasting record now.

[@cockle0979]

Great video! I remember working on the Elan Vanguards during the 80s. Glad to know that one of these old girls has survived the scrap heap and will be taken care of by the great team of enthusiasts at Brooklands :)

[@capacityplus]

This is a gem and now one of my favourites.

[@val91201]

Simply amazing!

[@BigVVS]

Big fan Andy job well done

[@michaelsmith697]

A beautiful aircraft. What a dicey situation!

[@VOD800]

Thanks for the video. I used to work at Weybridge half a lifetime ago! Great museum although a little sad to see all of the aircraft outside...

[@smikes7126]

Hunting cargo G-APES used its service to Dublin where I live and watched her most evenings arriving and departing for many years. Sad to know its gone but have great memories of this lovely old aircraft.

[@AndysVideo]

flyxplane1 Just in case you don't know ES has not completely gone, the cockpit section survies at East Midlands Aeropark

[@FrederickDelarge]

Hi Andy How I regret not taking a day off in the mid sixties, hiring a Uher portable stereo recorder and spending a day at a runway's end at Heathrow (you could then) and getting these beautiful sounds on tape for us all to hear for evermore. The turboprop aircraft of the day, (Britannias, Electras, Viscounts and particularly Vanguards) all had their distinctive voices. The Bristol Britannia with its Proteus engines made a wonderfully soft sound on take off!

[@FrederickDelarge]

Hi Harold, The Vanguard may not be the best aircraft in the world but she sure is my favourite. Elegant, graceful and truly British in every aspect. The very first aircraft I ever flew on, one day in 1965. How I wish I could have had the presence of mind to log her registration then. She may have even been the Echo Papa of today for all I know (1 in 20 chance of that). But those guys did a grand job in getting EP down at Weybridge now! Props on full power in reverse pitch I see! Fred.

[@moneymandan6217]

Fantastic bit of history

[@simonwolfe529]

Shear brilliance at work, didn't realise was a shortened runway when I worked at EMA for BM I used to see A-PEP all the time - back in the day, and loved the sound of those Tyne engines (nearly said dart then !!) well done to the crew and RIP Capt Peter More, what a "back of a fag packet" landing !! well done !!!!!!!

[@MrIaninuk]

They closed the road, and removed a couple of trees (which they re-planted again afterwards) they knew that the runway would be a little short, but that it was within the parameters of this planes landing circle.

[@rcooze1]

A great video, thanks. Brings back memories of flying in these great aircraft to/from Jersey.

[@helgafxnp]

For a brief history of the company (Vickers Ltd) google up "Vickers Centenary" . This company was "The Empire". It is now BAe Systems.

[@shanestephens2877]

I used to dispatch that at LTN in the early 90s when it flew on behalf of DHL or horse charters. Was lucky enough to fly on it once LTN-DUB-LTN with horses.

[@davehadfield5906]

My Dad flew Vanguards for Air Canada. He said they had an enormous capacity for reverse-thrust. He said he watched a Captain make a turn-off once at JFK 1200' from the end of the runway -- although it was brutal. Those huge props, if put to full use, were violently effective.

[@SuperCsys]

Whoa! A bit of an early landing I guess you could say. The fact that the aircraft was fine shows how strong those things are

[@bobbles799]

Must have watched this video 100 times fantastic 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍😊

[@AndysVideo]

+spike milley Thanks for being a fan Spike, but there are nearly 300 other videos on my U-Tub channel, you could be here for a long time!

[@targatop1]

Absolutely greta video! I remember these Vanguards, three different ones - G-APEP, G-APES and G-APET I think from memory..(Superb, Ajax and Agamemnon) used to spend their days at Dublin, and depart at about 9pm on post / freight service when it was Air Bridge Carriers, and return back to Dublin in the early hours,back in about 1992. The awesome sound of those Tynes were great (even better than the Ryanair One elevens) I was working on!!

[@apogaeum4313]

G-APEM, G-APEK missing.

[@mauricemajurey9477]

Others have mentioned the vibration and my memory of a flight to Gibraltar in the mid '60s is of a cyclic rattling that occupied the entire cruise stretch.

[@AdventuresofanoldSeadog]

Great bit of footage!

[@rossbremner5125]

What a wonderful video. Such a shame the great aircraft a few and far between now. Thanks for sharing

[@eddiegremlin]

Video took me right back to sitting atop the old Speke Airport every weekend as a kid. Hell we could even get to go on the flightdeck then too. Fantastic Aircraft - There used to be a preserved Viscount in a hangar at Speke don't know what happened to it though..

[@chrisjmarr]

Great landing Chaps right on

[@thevegasstyleguy]

I have been in the plane at Brooklands and it is actually much larger inside than I ever would have imagined

[@MrIaninuk]

I remember as a child flying BEA in one of these to Berlin 1964. Always loved large turbo-prop liners.

[@metro33777]

Outstanding !! Thank you for sharing.

[@AndysVideo]

Simply because the aircraft was not meant to touchdown for another 100yds. It was not just the holes in the way, there but also the road with kerbs etc. As you can see when the aircraft did stop, there was still over half the runway available, plus a right hand 'run off' area.

[@oldflyer70]

Awesome, the whole work (crew&ground)! Great video, also!

[@aadvandijk9814]

[@bayleafdog]

Thanks for the clip Andy...was also there on the day to see the old girl arrive

[@bobbypaluga4346]

It is terrific that the Vickers can be saved for people to look at, but tragic that it will be land locked in place never to fly again. Terrific job by the pilots. We need to restore a few Mosquitos an incredible British fighter, AND keep them air worthy

[@awuma]

The New Zealanders have done it ...

[@nigelcarpenter4814]

the captain or 1st officer is the double of my dad who we lost in 2012, R.I.P. John carpenter

[@brucehanson6427]

I grew up in Silver Heights, Winnipeg, just south of the airport. All sorts of air traffic from the RCAF, TCA, and private flew over my house. T33's, f-101 Voodoo, f-104 Starfighter, c-119 flying boxcar, even the Sabrejets of the Golden Hawks. I especially remember the loud whine of TCA's Viscounts, and a bit later the quieter Vanguard. I even got to meet, when travelling as a child from Vancouver to Winnipeg, the Avro Arrow killing PM John Diefenbaker.

[@CaptBubble]

Good grief! That was quite a landing and quite a stop! Have to visit Brooklands.

[@AndysVideo]

Now that would be a video worth seeing!

[@MavAuto-Pete]

So he was literally about a foot away from putting the landing gear in the tree hole? It was amazing how it did the short landing

[@AndysVideo]

As you say it was very close and they had no reason too because both the first two attempts were perfect and as you can see he touched down with plenty of runway left. We were very lucky that day.

[@ToyKingWonder]

Yes, a foot away from destroying the plane and likely killing everyone on board. A fact that seems to have been completely missed my everyone commenting here.

[@class37100]

perfect landing lol great video wow the sounds of the vanguard wow

[@AndysVideo]

Not sure what the length was but the circuit was nearly 3 miles round and the runway went from one end to the other, When you arrive tomorrow if you drive down Wellington Way, this is the road in the video and today it is still easy to see where the runway crosses it. The runway still exists to the South and you can park on it at the southern most end and look north down its length . The North part has been built on and is now part of the Mercedes Test Track.

[@markhepworth]

Wow..amazing 👏 Must get down to Brooklands some day!

[@Mrsbayhouse]

Nice to see the video Andy remembering the tale you told me how close it really was King close to quote an apt callsign. As veiwers will see those RR Tynes have a lot of grunt especially to stop. Regards as always Alan

[@zephy1001]

tesco's....merc world....a skate park....argos...curries....mothercare world....why....it should be full of aircraft and hangars...and aviation companies...and classic car companies...

[@NickB]

Fascinating to see that. I saw some of the short field landing practice at East Midlands and also the final departure on the Saturday morning. It would be great if anybody had any video of that.

[@AndysVideo]

I don't know of anyone who filmed that end, but if it does exist it would complement this clip perfectly. Regards Andy

[@osprey60]

Beg pardon...what an occasion...loved the old guardsvan too

[@paralleler]

Beautiful (thank goodness)!

[@dj4myparty]

brilliant video