December 15: The Harrier was retired from Royal Air Force service with an event held at RAF Cottesmore in Rutland, its last remaining base.
A planned 16-ship flypast couldn’t be held over the airfield due to poor weather, but was flown over a number of locations across the east of England including Stamford in Lincolnshire, for so long associated with the aircraft during its 41-year tenure of nearby RAF Wittering.
Landing the last Harrier after performing an emotive bow and power climb-out was the Station Commander and Officer Commanding Joint Force Harrier, Group Captain Gary Waterfall. As he pulled into position on the aircraft servicing platform for the last time, the order was made to cut all engines on the 16 aircraft that had just taxied in – the sound of the Pegasus engines winding down making a collective sigh across the airfield.
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