One of leading lights behind Doncaster's historic Vulcan announces retirement

Ken Smart, a trustee of Vulcan To The Sky Trust, the organisation which maintains the vintage aircraft at the former Doncaster Sheffield Airport, has announced his retirement after nearly two decades.

A spokesman for VTTST said: “After nearly 20 years as a trustee of Vulcan to the Sky, Ken Smart,has taken the decision to retire from his role.

"Ken played an instrumental part in returning Vulcan XH558 to flight."

Before the Cold War aircraft moved to Doncaster it was based at Bruntingthorpe and the VTTST spokesman added: “In the early days at Bruntingthorpe, Ken worked with the team to convince a very sceptical Civil Aviation Authority that the Trust had safety management systems embedded that would allow safe operation of XH558 at public displays.”

Ken has a wealth of experience in aviation.

His background includes aeronautical engineering roles in the Government research establishments during the 1960s and early 70s.

In 1975 he joined the Department for Transport’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and in September 1990 he went on to become the UK’s Chief Inspector of Air Accidents and Head of the AAIB.

In April 2005, after 30 years as an investigator with the AAIB, Ken retired and became a Visiting Professor at Cranfield University until 2019.

His other aviation roles include being a non-Executive Director at British Airways (BA), a Board Member of BA where he was Chairman of the BA Board Safety Review Committee, and he served on the Company Audit Committee.

Ken also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UK Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP) and was European President of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators.

Added the VTTTS spokesman: “It’s down to Ken’s exceptional CV that he is held in high regard, not only amongst the team at VTST but also the wider aviation industry.

"And it’s in no small part because of his skills and knowledge on airworthiness and air safety that the CAA awarded Vulcan XH558 her permit to fly on 3 July 2008.

"Two days later she performed her first display for an enthralled British public at the RAF Waddington Airshow and went on to fly for many more years before making her final landing on 28 October 2015.”

When announcing his retirement to the VTST team, Ken said; “I’d like to thank colleagues and friends within the Trust for making my tenure as a Trustee such an interesting and enjoyable experience. Keep the faith and I wish you all every success in the future."

The spokesman said: “The Board of Trustees and everyone at Vulcan to the Sky Trust thanks Ken for his part in XH558’s story and we wish him many happy years of retirement.”

The iconic bomber, known for its distinctive howl, welcomed thousands of visitors to Doncaster during its tenure at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, delighting aviation enthusiasts across the country with its displays.