Thousands turned out to watch the final flight of the XH558 Vulcan today, which is finally being grounded after decades in the air.

Aviation fans gathered across the county, hoping to catch a glimpse of the plane which included several Kent towns in a spectacular flypast.

On the route was Gravesend, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Manston, Dover and Ashford. It also flew over the Isle of Sheppey, the birthplace of British aviation.

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In a statement earlier this week, Vulcan to the Sky, the charity that has kept the XH558 bomber in the air, said the three main companies responsible for various vital systems on the plane have withdrawn their support after this year.

Video: Footage of the Vulcan Bomber's final flight

The charity said: "Unfortunately, having evaluated a great many factors, the three expert companies on whom we depend - BAE Systems, Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group and Rolls-Royce - have collectively decided to cease their support at the end of this flying season.

"Without that support, under Civil Aviation Authority regulations, we are prohibited from flying.

"At the heart of their decision are two factors. First, although we are all confident that XH558 is currently as safe as any aircraft flying today, her structure and systems are already more than ten percent beyond the flying hours of any other Vulcan, so knowing where to look for any possible failure will become gradually more difficult.

"Second, maintaining her superb safety record requires expertise that is increasingly difficult to find.

"Our technical partners already bring specialists out of retirement specifically to work on XH558; a solution that is increasingly impractical for those businesses as the necessary skills and knowledge become distant in their collective memories."

The charity said it was an "immensely sad decision" for everyone who has worked on keeping the plane in the sky.

The Vulcan aircraft was part of Britain's nuclear deterrent during the Cold War, but the development process for the plane dates back to the late 1940s.

The RAF first took delivery of the aircraft, designed to carry nuclear bombs, in 1956, and it was built at Woodford Aerodrome until 1965.

After nuclear bombs dropped from aircraft became obsolete with the introduction of ballistic and cruise missiles, some Vulcans were converted to other uses.

XH558 was one such plane, and in 1973 it took on a maritime reconnaissance role, and was subsequently used as an air-to-air refuelling tanker.

After being retired from active duty in 1984, XH558 continued with the RAF's Vulcan Display Flight team until 1992.

The Vulcan In The Sky Trust took on the plane in 1999, when it was donated by private buyers.

After £6.5 million in public donations it returned to the skies in October 2007.

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