Kev Graham 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🚁🦌🦂

Remembering the accidental HP Victor take-off "They were performing a planned high-speed taxi run at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in 2007 when the unthinkable happened. The engines on Handley Page Victor XM715 were brought up to near take-off power - as intended - but the aircraft accelerated harder than expected. At around 100 knots, the nose lifted. Seconds later, the 1950s Cold War bomber was airborne. In the left seat was former RAF pilot Bill Ramsey. Realising the Victor was fully committed, he kept it low — only about 20–30 feet above the runway - resisting the instinct to climb. With runway rapidly disappearing ahead, Ramsey eased the aircraft back down before the threshold, preventing what could have become a catastrophic departure from the airfield. The Victor was not cleared to fly, and the brief hop — unintended and unscheduled - effectively became XM715’s final flight. (Interview from Loop TV Magazine)"