Archive - Monday, 10 June 2002


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Soldiers to 'raid' RAF Fairford

TROOPS who have defended British bases in Afghanistan, the Balkans and other hot spots are set to "raid" RAF Fairford next Tuesday.

In fact the raid, by a force from the RAF Regiment, will be a demonstration of a behind-the-lines rescue mission and will involve explosions and gunfire.

"People living near the airfield should not be worried by the noise," said a spokesman, "which will not be made by live ammunition but by blank cartridges and thunder-clap explosives."

The men of the regiment will fly into the base aboard a Merlin HC Mark 3 helicopter similar to those designed for Special Forces tasks, combat rescue, and casualty evacuation, operated by 28(AC)Squadron based at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire.

The demonstration will be repeated as a finale to the Royal International Air Tattoo next month, the first of its kind ever given at the display, to commemorate the 60th year of service this year of the RAF Regiment.

People who don't want to get stuck in traffic jams en-route to and from the tattoo on July 20 and 21 can avoid the queues by flying to Fairford from London Heathrow. Tickets for seats on a British Airways 777 are available on credit card sales only for the return flight at £199 in standard class or £299 in first class. Both prices include the cost of entry to the tattoo.

The service will depart Heathrow at 8.45am on each day, arriving at Fairford 45 minutes later and returning from there at 6.15pm.

The jumbo will be flown by British Airways captain Richard Verrall, formerly personal pilot to the late King Hussein of Jordan, and the flight will result in £60,000 being raised for the RIAT Flying Scholarships for the Disabled scheme which was set up in 1983 in memory of World War II fighter ace Group Capt Douglas Bader and under the patronage of King Hussein.

Capt Verrall devised the money-raising flights in collaboration with the British Airways flight crew charity High Flight.

Tickets can be bought by ringing 0161-8345757.