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Navy’s air centenary takes off
7 May 2009London was treated to the spectacular sight of warplanes and military helicopters flying over the capital today.
Bursting through the grey skies, the 25 aircraft flew in formation to mark the centenary of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm.
Reminiscent of a scene from Apocalypse Now, the noise of helicopters filled the air as they flew east to west across London. Crowds gathered at Greenwich Park to witness their flight past the Old Royal Naval College while dignitaries were stationed aboard HMS Illustrious, Britain's flagship aircraft carrier currently moored in the Thames as part of the celebrations.
“It [the FleetAir Arm] has an illustrious history and will continue to do so,” said Prince Andrew, from his position on the aircraft carrier.
The prince, who saw active service as a naval pilot during the Falklands conflict in 1982, was joined on Illustrious by British war heroes. Among the celebrated veteran pilots onboard were 90-year-old Captain Eric Brown, the Navy's most decorated pilot who has flown more types of aircraft than anybody else in history, and John Moffat, who flew the Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber that crippled the German battleship Bismarck during the Second World War.
Other veterans from the Second World war were also on hand as well as personnel from more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those pilots were from a different era, miraculous survivors of a war that claimed many of their comrades. In contrast the flypast consisted of state-of-the-art Merlin, Sea King and Lynx helicopters as well as Hawk and Jetstream aircraft.
On 7 May 1909 the Admiralty first set aside £35,000 for the development of an airship — beginning the process that led to the formation of the Fleet Air Arm. Aircraft were first launched from a ship in 1912 and in 1918 the first true aircraft carrier was commissioned.
“Those 100 years have seen a breathtaking development from flimsy aircraft that struggled to leave the ground to supersonic stealth fighters,” said a spokesman for the Royal Navy.
The Fly Navy 100 programme of events will continue through the weekend to include a service at St Paul's Cathedral and smaller flying demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday at Greenwich.
Reader views (4)
Well done 'Lusty'. Pity none of the tv networks saw fit to screen the march on Friday 8th to St Pauls cathedral. Still that's what's called progress and even handed reporting by our national broadcaster. Perhaps John L. would have no problem in slimming down the grossly overweight BBC by say 60% (for starters) and making the redundant an offer (they could'nt refuse) to join the Navy and do a REAL job!
- Mike A, Carrickfergus, N Ireland, 08/05/2009 22:46
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Bravo the Fleet Air Arm. Interesting that the Fleet Air Arm has 6,200 people for its 250 airframes, yet the RAF has 41,400 for 1170 airframes (25:1 to 38:1). It thus seems that the RAF may be a little overloaded for take off in this economic climate. As the RAF recruits direct-entry PT officers 
, these highly paid fitness folk should start to fight the flab in their own service.
- Lester May, London, 08/05/2009 01:42
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I wonder what the racket was in the sky earlier in the afternoon.
- N, London, 08/05/2009 01:17
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Don't they Know there's a credit crunch on, stop wasting fuel.
God save the Queen.
- John L., Scarborough North Yorkshire, U.K., 07/05/2009 22:24
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