Large RAF planes expected in the skies above Stamford as Operation Swift Pirate returns to RAF Wittering

Plenty of large RAF planes will be in the sky around Stamford next week as a training exercise returns to a nearby RAF base.

RAF Wittering will act as a foreign airfield from Sunday, February 16 to Friday, February 21 for Operation Swift Pirate which will see No.1 Air Mobility Wing from RAF Brize Norton practice loading and unloading heavy aircraft.

Station Commander of RAF Wittering, Group Captain Jo Lincoln, said: " Whenever you see RAF aircraft unloading food and medical supplies during humanitarian relief operations, or helicopters and Land Rovers unloaded from a C-17, that’s 1AMW in action.

"This airfield is a great asset to Defence and it’s important that we use it whenever we can to keep our personnel ready for operations.”

Although no night flying is expected during the exercise, it does remain a possibility.

Wherever in the world the Royal Air Force is moving cargo, 1AMW personnel will see that it is safely loaded and unloaded.

Aside from ordinary freight, 1AMW personnel are trained to load complex payloads such as aircraft, vehicles and even munitions.

Heavy aircraft are expected at RAF Wittering throughout next week, so that 1AMW can have realistic training for the conditions they are likely to meet when operating abroad.

A high readiness unit, 1AMW can be deployed anywhere in the world at very short notice.

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