Puma helicopters from RAF Benson will fly over West Berkshire and North Hampshire to mark 50 years of Royal Air Force service

A formation of Puma helicopters will mark 50 years of Royal Air Force service with a national flypast.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, July 7), 10 Puma helicopters will take to the sky as part of a training sortie, which will involve flypasts of notable locations for the Puma Force over the past 50 years, including RAF Benson, Middle Wallop, Andover, Farnborough and Sandhurst, meaning there is a good chance they may pass over parts of West Berkshire and North Hampshire.

The first Puma helicopters were delivered into service in 1971 and the chosen flypast sites are those which hold historical significance for the Puma Force as well as those that provide support delivering current Puma operational capability.

A map has been released by RAF Benson, where the Puma Force is based, to provide an illustrative example of some of the locations which will be visited and the approximate timings. They remain subject to change at short notice.

People are asked to share images on social media using #Puma50 to commemorate the five decades of service.