UK: final flypast of RAF Tornado before retirement


The RAF Tornado has completed its final flight in a flypast over the disbandment parade for the jet's last two squadrons. The Tornado will retire at the end of March after almost 40 years in service.


UK RAF Tornado Makes Its Final Flypast The last Tornado GR4 performing a final flypast over RAF Marham (Picture source: RAF )


The RAF Tornado has completed its final flight in a flypast over the disbandment parade for the jet's last two squadrons. The Tornado will retire at the end of March after almost 40 years in service. Members of the last two squadrons to operate the aircraft attended the parade in a hangar at the jet's home base of RAF Marham in Norfolk.

The head of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, Chief of the Air Staff, watched the jet taxi in for the last time and said it was a "hugely significant moment in the RAF's history"."The Tornado has been the greatest part of my RAF career and so if my eyes are just a little bit glassy it's not just down to the wind that's blowing today here at Marham" he said.

After taking off for the first time in 1979 the jets have been used all over the world — most recently bombing ISIS with missiles to push the terrorist group back through Syria and Iraq.

The legendary planes are due to be replaced by Typhoons after four decades of service.