By Gordon Berry

NINE TORNADO fighters from RAF Leuchars yesterday provided a nostalgic end to nine decades of their squadron’s distinguished history with a final high-speed flight around some famous Scottish landmarks.

The farewell flypast by the aircraft from 56 Squadron operational conversion unit at the Fife base saw the spectacular and rarely seen “diamond nine” formation mark the disbanding of a unit which built an impressive array of battle honours in a fighting role that began over the fields of France in the first world war.

The hour-long trip finished with a stunning flypast at the Fife base and then a simulated attack led by Wing Commander David Hazell, officer commanding 56 Squadron.

He said afterwards that the day had been a very emotional one.

“It was a mark of respect for the squadron’s long history, and I was delighted to be able to see it off in style. I have been on my third tour here, 56 has been my squadron, and it is very close to my heart.”

Wing Cdr Hazell, who is about to take over the reins of 43 Squadron at Leuchars, said that a lot of concentration was required to fly for an hour in such close formation with the aircraft about 30 feet apart, but the trip had been “fantastic.”

The Tornados took off from the base at 10 am and flew over the Forth Bridges, Leith Docks and the Britannia before skirting around the capital.

Next on the programme were Redford Barracks, the two famous bridges over the Forth, and Scone Airport near Perth, before the aircraft headed back down the Tay to Dundee, and then north to Condor, and Aberdeen before roaring over Leuchars again.

As the fighters banked across the runway, a large number of ground crew and squadron personnel had gathered to watch the event, and a number of them lay down on the tarmac to form the number 56.

The 79 service personnel affected are being deployed at other units, although the reduction in the number of front-line squadrons at the Fife base is likely to be only temporary as it will soon be home to three Typhoon squadrons.

The £67 million Eurofighter is scheduled to arrive at the Fife airbase in 2010, and 56 Squadron came to Leuchars five years ago to help prepare the airfield for the change.

There will now be an enlarged 43 (F) Squadron at Leuchars, and it will continue the front-line operations of 43 and absorb the operational conversion unit role of 56.

Although its fighting role is now over, the squadron name will live on in a surveillance role with a new unit based at Waddington.

This was welcomed yesterday by Air Officer Scotland and RAF Leuchars Station Commander, Air Commodore Clive Bairsto.

He said that he had served with 56 Squadron off and on for the last 12 or 13 years, and he had been enormously proud to be associated with it.