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A very special escort: Red Arrows lead Vulcan bomber across the skies as display team bid farewell to the aircraft before it is retired to a museum

By Mark Duell for MailOnline

his is the spectacular moment the Red Arrows bid farewell to the Vulcan bomber as the aircraft flew together for the final time yesterday.

Spectators at Southport Air Show cheered as the Red Arrows’ nine British-built Hawk aircraft made a V-shape in front of the Vulcan.

The Vulcan XH558 is the last airworthy example of the UK's famous V-Force fleet and 2015 is the delta-winged aircraft’s last flying season.

Squadron Leader David Montenegro said: ‘The Vulcan played both a significant role in the Cold War and in the history of British aviation.

‘And so it's only right we pay tribute to the aircraft, and all those people connected with it, during the bomber's final flying season.’

Enthusiasts who raised millions of pounds to keep the Vulcan airborne were ‘devastated’ in May by the decision to ground the Vulcan.

But engineering backers pulled their support due to safety fears and the plane will be now retired to a new museum and aviation academy.

The last Vulcan was withdrawn from service in 1984, but XH558 flew on from 1986 to 1993 as the single Royal Air Force display Vulcan.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z3mMDkgsgk

I saw this on tv yesterday, lovely to watch tha22222

I love the Vulcan, saw it fly over RAF Marham 2 years ago and on the ground at Duxford last year, it is such a large aircraft.

Sad to see any plane grounded. I only ever saw a Vulcan when it was still in service (apart from airshows) when we visited Mum's brother just outside Leicester -we hear this huge long loud rumble and looked up. It was so small the only way you knew what it was was its distinctive shape -if it had been any other aircraft you would have been hard pressed to say what it was ...

I saw it in Norwich a few months ago. But it came and went in a flash with a big rumble.