Royal Navy Sea King helicopters bid farewell with flypast

THE Royal Navy's Sea King helicopters have marked their retirement with a final flypast over Scotland.

By The Newsroom

Published 14th Jan 2016, 17:12 BST

Updated 14th Jan 2016, 17:41 BST

Royal Navy Search and Rescue flew over Edinburgh as part of their farewell flypast over the areas they used to serve.
Picture: Neil Hanna — Royal Navy Search and Rescue flew over Edinburgh as part of their farewell flypast over the areas they used to serve. Picture: Neil Hanna

Based at HMS Gannet in Prestwick, the aircraft are being withdrawn from search and rescue service in Scotland 44 years after the unit was first established.

The team took off from Prestwick this morning, making fly-overs in Glasgow, Garelochhead, Tyndrum, Lochaber, Oban, Stirling, Edinburgh, Ayr and Troon before returning to base.

On January 1, the Royal Navy unit handed operations over to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency contractor Bristow Helicopters, bringing an end to military-lead search and rescue missions.