Britain’s Harrier jump jets flew into retirement before the axe of government spending cuts falls on them.
The 16-strong fleet of distinctive aircraft soared into the grey skies above RAF Cottesmore in the East Midlands on a farewell journey which took them over several other RAF bases.
They flew over the town centres of Stamford and Oakham as well as Lincoln Cathedral before landing back at RAF Cottesmore later.
The jets date back to the 1960s when the first generation of Harriers were built in the UK. They became famous for their ability to hover above the ground.
In 1969 the Royal Air Force became the first in the world to use the jets’ unusual vertical take-off and landing abilities.
This distinctive feature enabled the aircraft to fly in and out of areas near to the battlefield that conventional aircraft cannot reach.
But the planes fell victim to the recent bout of belt-tightening by the coalition, which announced they would be removed from service in this autumn’s defence review.
Meanwhile, the government will scrap the Royal Navy’s last remaining aircraft carrier and four of its frigates, Defence Secretary Liam Fox confirmed yesterday.
Dr Fox said following the Strategic Defence and Security Review in October, it had been decided to decommission HMS Illustrious.
The ship will be withdrawn in 2014 and will join sister ship HMS Ark Royal, which retires at the end of this month.
Decommissioning the two aircraft carriers follows the decision to scrap the Harrier fleet, meaning Britain is now unable to launch combat jets from the sea.
Helicopter carrier HMS Ocean will take over from Illustrious in 2014 after a planned refit.
The four remaining type 22 frigates, HMS Chatham, Campbeltown, Cumberland and Cornwall, will all be withdrawn next year.
In a written statement to MPs, Dr Fox said: “HMS Illustrious will be withdrawn from service in 2014, once HMS Ocean has emerged from a planned refit and been returned to a fully operational state.
“This will ensure that we retain the ability to deliver an amphibious intervention force from the sea and maintain an experienced crew to support the later introduction into service of the new Queen Elizabeth carrier. “Chatham will be withdrawn from service at the end of January 2011 and Campbeltown and Cumberland will follow on April 1.
“HMS Cornwall will be withdrawn at the end of April once she has returned from her current operational deployment to the Indian Ocean.”