Memorial service for Vulcan pilot

Above: L-R: David Thomas, Barry Masefield and Alistair McDicken were the flight crew on-board XH558 for her first post-restoration flight in 2007.

Test pilot Alistair McDicken, who’s family lived locally, passed away on 12th February 2019 – and his family are holding a memorial service at St James Church, Gawsworth, on the 22nd March 2019 at 1 pm. 

Enjoying a lengthy career with the RAF – and later with British Aerospace – Alistair captained the restored Vulcan XH558 – the last Vulcan to take to the skies.

In the RAF, Alistair was a captain on 50 Sqn Vulcans in the early seventies, before attending the Empire Test Pilots School at Boscombe Down.

Later, with British Aerospace, he was involved in certifying the Nimrod MR2 and the Vulcan K2 (tanker) into service and became the Chief Test Pilot for BAe Systems at Woodford, enjoying a phenomenal flying career. An Avro flag has been flying at half-mast outside the Avro Heritage Museum on the former factory site of AV Roe.

Former RAF and XH558 colleague, Andy Marson paid this tribute: “Al was an exceptional pilot, a dear friend and an absolute gentleman, who will be sadly missed but fondly remembered. RIP Alistair. We send our condolences to Ann and his family.”

Above: When joining the Vulcan XH558 aircrew team, Al was asked to provide a résumé of his flying experience, for insurance purposes.  It demonstrates the impressive breadth of his flying experience before that first post-restoration flight in 2007.  

Below: 23 years after last flying a Vulcan, Al was at the controls of XH558 when he landed back at Bruntingthorpe after the aircraft’s first post-restoration flight on 18^th October 2007. Image © Charles Toop