Southend Airport Vulcan Volunteers Share Their Passion for the Project
Volunteers at Southend Airport discuss their dedication to maintaining the Vulcan aircraft and the community they’ve built
Southend, UK, Vulcan, Volunteers, Aviation, Community
Southend: The Vulcan XL426 has been at Southend Airport since 1986, thanks to the hard work of volunteers from the Vulcan Restoration Trust (VRT). They keep it in great shape, making sure it runs smoothly.
With a VIP viewing day coming up, some volunteers opened up about why they dedicate their time to this project and what it means to them.
These volunteers meet every week to handle maintenance and repairs on the Vulcan, plus they organize events and fundraising activities.
It’s pretty impressive! Their efforts mean this aircraft is one of just three Vulcans worldwide that can still run on the ground.
Hannah Deurden, a dog walker, joined the VRT a few years back. She had no engineering background but fell in love with the Vulcan as a kid, thanks to her aircraft engineer dad.
“We’ve got some amazing engineers and teachers here. When you start, you get paired with someone experienced. Just last Saturday, I was working on the steering system,” she shared.
Kevin Packard has been volunteering since 1989 and has climbed the ranks to become the VRT’s vice president. He reflected, “None of us thought we’d still be here 35 years later, working with such a fantastic team.”
He added, “I saw a few tears during last year’s Twilight Taxi Run when XL426 performed so beautifully.”
For Gareth Green, the VRT’s technical lead, volunteering is about more than just the aircraft; it’s about the community. He loves the diversity among the volunteers.
“The team is really important to me. We have young and older members with different skills from all walks of life, and that’s something I truly enjoy,” Gareth said.