Nimrod...The End Of An Era

[Garry Russell]

Item on local radio just now

The Nimrod MR2 retires today........26t March

A quick check show no more up to date news than articles saying it would reture by March 2010, but I expect details soon

[TSR2]

One example flew over South Tyneside this morning at 09:00, out to see over Suiter Lighthouse.

[Garry Russell]

Could be a part of the stand down, there is something going on tody to commorate it but I'm not sure what exactly

[Garry Russell]

Article now on the Beeb

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8588847.stm

[Paul K]

Anyone know whats happening to them ? Museums maybe ? I wonder if they could get one into Duxford.

[TSR2]

I thought the airframes were being reused for the MR4A?

[Garry Russell]

I thought those were set aside years ago, the wings scrapped and the fuselages moved down to the factory

[TSR2]

Could be Garry, I'm not 100% sure, but I thought it was to be a rolling program... i.e. The first batch were set asside years ago, but when they entered service, the onces they replaced would then be used and so on

[Garry Russell]

Could be Ben

Failing that there will be still a host of useful bits.

The whole thing has become a bit of a mess and my hope now is they don't cancel the MR4 in a bit. claiming we are manageing without...

According to a DEC 2009 pice I read today..Eleven remained.

[Trev Clark]

So what is being used now then? Have the RAF leased anoth small twin Beechcraft or something similar?

I would not mind betting that a lot of the younger AE Ops (sorry WSOps) will find themselves spending the rest of their career in the Chinook fleet , couldn't happen to a nicer lot