Farewell Reports
A Polish Air Force Fitter farewell
On the 10th and 11th of September, a significant chapter in the history of the Polish Air Force came to a close, as the nation officially retired the Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter from active service. Operated by Poland for over four decades, the iconic swing-wing fighter-bomber served as a mainstay of the country’s tactical strike capability throughout the latter stages of the Cold War and into the 21st century. In this article, Mark Empson explores the Su-22's storied career within the Polish Air Force and reports from the retirement celebrations that marked the end of operations for this cold war era aircraft.
RAF Puma, 54 & out
The Westland Puma HC2 currently serving with 33 and 230 Squadron at RAF Benson, and 84 Squadron at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, will be withdrawn from service on March 31, 2025. Ian Harding provides a brief review of the helicopter at the end of an illustrious 54 years operational career which commenced with the types first operational flight on September 29, 1971. Throughout this period, the Puma, its aircrew and maintainers have been deployed on numerous operations including combat operations, exercises, provided humanitarian relief, and during more recent times, provided search and rescue capability and fulfilled fire-fighting duties. The Puma had become a genuine ‘jack of all trades’ and will therefore be sadly missed.
KC-10A Bows Out
September 26th 2024 was an emotional day at Travis Air Force Base, California, when the final KC-10A departed, marking the end of operations with the United States Air Forces (USAF). Westleigh Bushell takes a look back at the operational career of this iconic jet.
Aeronautica Militare retires AMX
Following 35 years of service, the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) formally retired its last remaining AMX A-11 ‘Ghibli’ light combat and reconnaissance aircraft from service on April 5, 2024. The Italian term ‘Ghibli’ derives from the hot dry wind that blows in North Africa. This historic occasion was marked [...]
Army Air Corps Apache AH-64D retirement
© Ian Harding | Army Air Corps | Westland Apache AH1 On March 25, 2024 following 23 years of service, the Army Air Corps officially retired the AgustaWestland/Boeing WAH-64D (Apache AH1) from service whilst also declaring the Boeing Apache AH-64E Guardian v6 operationally ready. As has become standard practice nowadays, [...]
Westland Gazelle AH1 Swan Song
On Monday October 23rd 2023, three 665 Squadron, 5 Regiment Army Air Corps Westland Gazelle AH1s departed RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland for a short tour of UK landmarks. This brings to an end this chapter of the aircrafts UK military service life with the official end of service date [...]
Belgian Sea King Retirement
March 21, 2019 was a memorable day in the calendar for both 40 Squadron and the Belgian Air Component, as it marked the retirement of the Westland Sea King Mk 48 helicopters after 43 years of loyal service providing the Search and Rescue (SAR) capability to the people of Belgium. [...]
Royal Navy Lynx Retirement
Fast, sleek, agile and sporty; words which are often used to describe and sum up the Westland Lynx - a helicopter that, in March 2017, will finally reach the end of a remarkable forty-one years of service with the Royal Navy. Mark Kwiatkowski reports from the last home of the [...]
Army Air Corps Lynx AH7 Retirement
Friday 31st July 2015 saw an historic moment for the British Army Air Corps (AAC), with the retirement of the Westland Lynx AH.7 helicopter. The Lynx has been a key asset to the AAC for just over 38 years, having first taken to the skies in June 1977 as a Lynx [...]
G-JOEY Trislander Retirement
June 28th 2015 will see the retirement of a Channel Islands aviation Icon, G-JOEY the Britten Norman Trislander. JOEY is operated by Aurigny Air Services, based in Channel Islands. This much loved aircraft has seen just shy of 40 years service in its lifetime, 34 of those years with Aurigny [...]
RAF TriStar Retirement
Originally designed as a civilian airliner in the 1960’s the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar later become a vital asset to the Royal Air Force transport fleet. March 2014 brings to an end the RAF service of the famous ‘trijet’. History In the late 1960’s American Airlines released a specification for a [...]