The final flight of Tornados from RAF Lossiemouth was particularly poignant for one pilot.
Yesterday’s sortie was the last time Flight Lieutenant Bill Read will take to the air with the RAF after nearly 38 years of service.
The Top Gun will retire from the air force just days after a parade at the base at the end of the month to mark the disbandment of the XV (Reserve) Squadron.
Flt Lt Read is one of the most experienced hands at the controls of a Tornado having flown them since 1987.
And standing on the apron looking at the planes yesterday, the pilot admitted it would take a few days for it to “sink in” that he would never fly one again.
He said: “When I go home after flying I still have that adrenaline rush going through me two or three hours later.
“It’s going to come down to lifestyle changes though. At the moment flying these things has been normal for me for a long time, it’s as normal as going to the shops.”
Flt Lt Read has been stationed at RAF Lossiemouth for four years but now intends to return home to Surrey to be closer to his family.
Although he will no longer take off in a fighter jet he intends to maintain his flying skills with his private pilot’s licence.
He added: “One of the things I’ll miss is the camaraderie with my colleagues. The air crews, the ground crews and the families are really close, it’s like a community.”