A CONTEST with a difference took place at RAF Leuchars yesterday morning as two teams lined up to pull two 20-tonne jets down the runway, raising £7000 for charity.

Big-hearted fund-raisers from the Allied Irish Bank took on a team from the RAF Leuchars charity action group, each pulling a Tornado jet for a distance of 100 yards.

Despite the banking team’s great start, the RAF team’s strength and familiarity with the aircraft paid off as they crossed the finish line first—but only by a nose.

The aircraft pull was the highlight of a weekend spent by the Allied Irish Bank team at Leuchars. On Saturday the team was hosted by the RAF Leuchars Regiment Flight for a day of drill, weapons, leadership training and team building.

This was followed by a games night in the sergeants’ mess and, for some, partying until 4 am!

Flight Lieutenant Pete Brambley of the RAF Leuchars charity action group explained the group’s prime aim was to raise money for charities in Tayside and Fife, with them raising £50,000 last year alone. They established good relations with the Glasgow-based Allied Irish Bank several years ago.

Thanks to donations from the Allied Irish Bank, the weekend event, spearheaded by Flight Sergeant Eamonn Jenkins, would result in £3000 going to Glasgow’s Ronald McDonald appeal at the Yorkhill Hospital, £1000 to CHAS, £1000 to the Leuchars squadron of the Air Cadets and £2000 to the Sarah Massey Fund.

Sarah was a technician with Leuchars’ 56(R) Squadron who is now out of the service after being seriously injured in a road accident. Her former colleagues at Leuchars hope the donation will buy her a wheelchair.

Allied Irish Bank senior manager Kenny Dalby admitted there were a few “thick heads” among his team after a 4 am finish in the bar. Extra training had been put in, however, with a “fried breakfast and double fried pudding.”

He said the team building events on Saturday had been “fantastic,” and, despite any hangovers, the aircraft pull had been a great opportunity to put these efforts into practice.

Among those watching yesterday’s race was the new RAF Leuchars station commander, Air Commodore Julian Stinton, who accepted the cheques.