Page 7 - issue08.03.2019

Royal Air Force News Friday, March 8, 2019 P7

News

LAST FLYPAST

SALUTE: The nine-ship (also below) over RAFC Cranwell

LINE-UP: The nine Tornados on the pan before their flight over RAF Marham and RAFC Cranwell. Inset, pilot greets his daughter PHOTO: CPL LEE MATTHEWS
Tonka’s final farewell

THE RAF’S veteran Tornado during the aircraft’s farewell tour of now operational and the Typhoon “Everyone can take immense aircraft’s first use in live operations
bomber performed its last flypast the UK, performing a flypast over is now fully multi-role capable pride in what the Tornado has was during the Gulf War in 1991,
before finally retiring after nearly RAF Lossiemouth and the former and able to take on the Tornado’s achieved in defence of the nation when 60 Tornado GR1s were
40 years service. Air Force station at Leuchars. missions. over nearly four decades, and reflect deployed from bases in Saudi
The bomber’s final flight with the He added: “I will personally be “It was an enormous privilege back on the courage, commitment Arabia and Bahrain.
RAF was a symbolic one. Taking off very sad to see the Tornado retire, for me to lead today the final and achievements of everyone who Two years later they were
from the home of Tornado Force but it is time now to pass the baton Tornado flypasts over Leuchars, has contributed to the success of upgraded to the GR4, which has
at Marham in Norfolk, a nine-ship to our next generation combat Lossiemouth and Tain, and then this extraordinary aircraft.” been used ever since over Kosovo,
flew in formation to College Hall aircraft. The F-35B Lightning is back to Marham. Nicknamed the Tonka, the Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
at Cranwell – where a graduation
parade was taking place.
Hundreds of thousands of 1(: 9(7(5$1 +286,1* ,1
aviation fans across the UK turned 6287+ /21'21
out to watch the Tornado as RAF
crews performed a series of flypasts
over military sites connected with
the aircraft.
Gp Capt Ian Townsend, who
took part in the Tornado’s swansong
performances across Britain, said: +DLJ +RXVLQJ 7UXVW LV ODXQFKLQJ D QHZ GHYHORSPHQW RI RQH WR IRXU EHGURRPHG
“It is sobering to think that most of KRXVHV IRU 9HWHUDQV RSHQLQJ RQ LWV VRXWK /RQGRQ HVWDWH LQ 0RUGHQ LQ $SULO
the officers graduating today would
not have been born when Tornado ,I \RX DUH D 9HWHUDQ RU VRRQ WR OHDYH WKH 1DY\ $UP\ $LU )RUFH DQG H[SHFW WR EH LQ
first entered service in 1979. KRXVLQJ QHHG WKHQ \RX PD\ EH HOLJLEOH WR DSSO\ IRU RQH RI WKHVH EHDXWLIXO KRPHV
“Sad though it is, the time is
right for Tornado to retire and %XLOW IRU WKH IXWXUH ZLWK VRODU SDQHOOLQJ DPSOH SDUNLQJ HOHFWULF UH FKDUJLQJ
hand the baton of UK Combat Air IDFLOLWLHV DQG FORVH WR JRRG WUDQVSRUW OLQNV VFKRROV DQG JUHHQ VSDFHV WKHVH ZLOO
capability to the Typhoon and F-35 EH RIIHUHG DW DQ DIIRUGDEOH UHQW $ QXPEHU RI WKH RQH DQG WZR EHGURRPHG KRPHV
Lightning, both exceptional aircraft ZLOO DOVR EH UHDG\ DGDSWHG IRU ZKHHO FKDLU XVHUV
able to meet the challenges of future )RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ WR UHJLVWHU \RXU LQWHUHVW RU WR DSSO\ YLVLW

warfare.” ZZZ KDLJKRXVLQJ RUJ XN PRUGHQ GHYHORSPHQW 6/9$
Chief of the Air Staff Sir Stephen RU WHOHSKRQH WKH +RXVLQJ 2SWLRQV 7HDP RQ
Hillier led a four-ship of Tornados CHEERS: Gp Capt Ian Townsend (right) toasts Tornado Force