RAF Hercules formation to carry out farewell flypasts across the UK
After nearly six decades of service the Hercules transport aircraft is retiring from RAF service
Last updated 14th Jun 2023
A flypast to mark the retirement of the Hercules transport aircraft from RAF service will take place across all four nations of the United Kingdom on Wednesday 14 June.
Details of the planned routing and timings by the three aircraft can be found below and cover locations of significance to the Hercules’ nearly six decades of service as a heavy lift transport aircraft.
The three Hercules aircraft will depart their base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire at 10am.
Since entering RAF service, originally with 242 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Thorney Island, it has operated across the globe in support of UK military and humanitarian relief operations.
The Hercules fleet was crucial to UK operations, a fact emphasised by the 1982 Falklands War. It very quickly became apparent that the Hercules would be required to mount non-stop return sorties to the Falklands from Ascension Island and an urgent programme of inflight-refuelling probe installation began.
In the conflict’s immediate aftermath, the converted Hercules tankers took a vital role supporting RAF Harriers and, subsequently, McDonnell Douglas Phantoms providing Falkland Islands air defence.
The Atlas C1 fleet, which has been operating alongside Hercules for some time including assisting with the evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan and Sudan, will now deliver Tactical airlift in support of operations. Atlas is the next generation of tactical air transport and can deliver greater loads (almost twice that of C-130 Hercules), further and faster.
Flypast timings:
1000 Depart 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 RAF Brize Norton