The United Kingdom is going to take part in NATO Days in Ostrava for the eighth time. A Tornado F3 fighter plane will come to its historically last show outside the British Isles, from which participants have been arriving to our show since 2003.

“We highly value the fact that our show is the last event on the continent, in which is the British Tornado F3 going to take part,” comments Zbyněk Pavlačík, the chairman of the Jagello 2000 Association, which organizes NATO Days in Ostrava. In his words, British Tornados have always been met with great interest of our visitors.

“We really esteem the RAF attitude, because the RAF presented Typhoon F3 in 2007 at a static display as its premiere and in the last year also at a dynamic display. The RAF has thus chosen Ostrava as the place for ‘Tornado F3 Farewell’ for the whole continental Europe,” adds Pavlačík.

Specifically, a Tornado F3 aircraft from the British 111 Fighter Squadron will come to NATO Days in Ostrava. 111 FSqn was coincidentally the first foreign participant that performed aerial dynamic display in 2005. The twin-engine Panavia F3 Tornado planes were introduced into service in the 1980s as modern long-range interceptor fighters. Now they are being replaced by Eurofighter Typhoons and last Tornados F3 will be withdrawn from services of the Royal Air Force in the first half of 2011. This year is the last one for the general public to see these planes at air shows, whereas NATO Days in Ostrava are their last show in the continental Europe.

The historically last dynamic display of the Tornado F3 for general public will be performed at NATO Days in Ostrava by the squadron leader of 111 Sqn Dan Arlet.

Written by: Pavel Doško

See you at the 10^th NATO Days in Ostrava,
1^st Czech Air Force Days,
and AirIn Fair 2010!