The retirement of the Tornado F3 is being marked in a book poised to bring a charity legacy for the men and women of the RAF.
Some 21 years on from the arrival of the first operational Tornado F3 ZE961 “GA” to be based in Scotland, Angus-based aviation art firm Squadron Prints has delivered a fascinating insight into an aircraft’s extensive record of service across the globe and its special place in the memory of those who have flown, maintained and admired it.
In the new book men and women of the F3 Force, past and present, take the reader around the world at supersonic speeds with stories of dark nights over the North Sea and hot days above the burning oilfields of Kuwait and from the Baltic coast to a final public bow at the Leuchars Air Show of 2010.
The Squadron Prints team of Berry Vissers, Gill Howie and Mark McEwan donated over £10,000 to the RAF Benevolent Fund from sales of their most recent book Northern Exposure the RAF at Work in Scotland.
This time they have been joined by renowned aviation photographer Geoffrey Lee and Wing Commander Justin Reuter, a former F3 navigator and current serving officer, to produce a manuscript of anecdotes along with distinctive and colourful photographs from home and abroad.
The book will also be raising funds for the RAF Association, with at least £2 from every copy sold going to its Wings Appeal.