Three Puma RAF helicopters to fly over West Midlands tomorrow on farewell tour
Three RAF helicopters will fly over Staffordshire tomorrow as part of a special farewell tour.
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RAF Puma HC.Mk 2 helicopters will fly over an RAF base at Stafford and the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield on Thursday.
The aircraft will be retired at the end of this month; they departed from their home base at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire today (March 26) before performing flypasts over sites in the UK to say their goodbyes.
The helicopters flew over the RAF Museum in Cosford and Shawbury airbase shortly before 11.30am today, before heading off to Hillsborough Castle and around England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The trio will return back to the Midlands tomorrow towards the end of their journey.
The Puma is used in a variety of combat roles, including the tactical movement of troops, weapons, ammunition and stores on the battlefield alongside the extraction of casualties and in response to medical emergencies on the frontline.
The Royal Air Force says the retirement of the Puma will "enable avoidance of additional in-service costs" and enable the introduction of its replacement as soon as possible.
A new H145 helicopter will enter service next year and be deployed in both Cyprus and Brunei in support of British forces.
