Two aircraft of the Royal Air Force (RAF) have recently celebrated their anniversary of service with a spectacular flight in pairs and equipped with a livery painted for this occasion. The two flew over the UK's most iconic sites: from the Isle of Wight to central London. They are a Puma (XW224) from Airbus Helicopters that turned 50 years old, and a Boeing Chinook (ZD984) that celebrated 40 years.

"It is an absolute honor to command the Puma Force on its 50th anniversary. The Support Helicopter Force has made a great contribution to operations around the world and in the United Kingdom, with Puma and Chinook together providing more than 90 years of service. Everyone who has worked for or with Puma Force over the past five decades should be incredibly proud of the role they have played, continue to play, and their accomplishments", said Puma Force Group Commander, captain Nick Paton.

In recent years, Puma and Chinook have been key players in military and humanitarian operations around the world, including counterterrorism in Northern Ireland, wars in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and humanitarian crises in Mozambique and the Caribbean.