A chance to say farewell to the Hercules as RAF arrange one-day UK tour

A FLYPAST involving three Hercules will take place this Wednesday (June 14), the event marking the retirement of the RAF’s entire fleet at the end of the month.

The flights will cover all four nations and involve “locations of significance” to the Hercules, beginning at Brize Norton before operating over sites including Aldergrove in Northern Ireland, Lossiemouth in Scotland, and Valley on the Welsh island of Anglesey.

It was back in December 1966 that the RAF’s first Hercules arrived in the UK, entering RAF service the following year with No. 242 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) at RAF Thorney Island in West Sussex.

However, the squadron most closely associated with the aircraft is No. 47 Squadron, boasting 55 years’ experience of operating the transporter. They were famously involved in Operation Corporate during the Falklands War in 1982, 24/7 flights that kept supply lines open to the Ascension Islands, the aircraft having additional fuel tanks and refuelling probes fitted so they could travel even greater distances including from Ascension to the Falklands.

But the decision to end a near 60-year association with the Hercules is a contentious one, bringing forward plans for the transition to the Atlas fleet by 12 years in a cost-saving exercise.

This year showed their continued importance both to the RAF and British citizens trapped abroad, four of the fleet used to evacuate British nationals from Sudan following an outbreak of violence and lawlessness in the country that left many people fleeing for their lives.

More than 2,300 people were evacuated from Sudan, the Hercules bringing British citizens and important personnel from the African country to Cyprus before their return to the UK. The aircraft has operated across the globe in support of UK military and humanitarian relief operations.

According to RAF officials, those involved in operating and maintaining the fleet of Hercules will be transitioned across to the other platforms in RAF service.

The timings for the flypast are as follows, subject to changes due to weather conditions or other operational issues:

1000 Departs RAF Brize Norton
1025 National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas
1034 RAF Cosford
1122 RAF Valley
1148 FS Aldergrove
1251 RAF Lossiemouth (with Typhoon escort)
1408 RAF Leeming
1410 RAF Topcliffe
1423 Beverley
1435 RAF Waddington
1438 RAF College Cranwell
1458 Cambridge Airport
1504 RAF Mildenhall
1515 Colchester Garrison
1622 MOD Boscombe Down
1625 Salisbury Plain (West Down Camp)
1632 MOD Lyneham
1636 Royal Wootton Bassett
1639 Defence Academy of the UK, Shrivenham
1643 Dalton Barracks, Abingdon
1651 RAF Halton
1655 RAF High Wycombe
1705 Return to RAF Brize Norton