Topic: Tornado GR4 Retirement Flypast

[Pugwash]

The Tornado GR4 aircraft, often a familiar sight and sound over Salisbury Plain, is being retired from service and this event is being marked by a number of flypasts.



A direct routing from Boscombe Down to RAF Pembrey would bring them over Westbury, so if interested, it may be worth keeping an eye out on Wednesday around 1350, weather permitting of course.

Wednesday 20th February

1300 – 1315 Royal Air Force Honington
1315 – 1330 Imperial War Museum Duxford – Former RAE Bedford – Cranfield Airfield – Royal Air Force Halton – RAF High Wycombe
1330 – 1345 RAF Benson – HQ Land Forces, Andover, MOD Boscombe Down
1400 – 1415 RAF Pembrey – MOD St Athan – Cardiff Airport
1415 – 1430 Rolls Royce Filton – MOD Abbey Wood – MOD Shrivenham – RAF Brize Norton

[Bob DeBilda]

I had a mate years ago who wanted to fly these fighters. He got accepted and went to Cranwell but his eyesight wasn't good enough and he ended up being a navigator instead.

One of the great fighter jets of recent years. I always looked forward to seeing them at the airshows.

[Al]

Sadly it is cloudy. I didn’t see the GR4s. Did anyone catch sight?

[Pugwash]

No, didn't spot them, low cloudbase and they were early, I heard a rumble to the south around 13;30 . According to ADS-B Exchange they tracked to the south of Warminster and Frome, and by 13:45 were approaching Minehead before crossing the Bristol Channel to Pembrey.

[Bobbyt]

We certainly got our money's worth from that air frame. They were flying two sorties a day, 6 days a weeks from Cyprus for the past four years flying into Iraq and Syria to attack IS. They were falling apart but the ground crews worked hard and kept them going.

End of era