As the countdown to retirement for the RAF's veteran Vickers VC10 air-to-air refueling aircraft continues, it remains at the forefront of British military operations at home and overseas. For an aircraft less than two years away from retirement, the Royal Air Force's VC10s have never been busier. In August 2011 almost half of the 12-strong fleet were on operations overseas and the aircraft flying from their home base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxford shire were still heavily tasked to support operational work. The RAF's sole operational VC10 unit, No 101 Squadron, was working to retire its last aircraft at the end of 2013, but events at home and abroad have resulted in those plans being amended considerably.
展开▼
