British Military Aviation in 1984

31 March
The Avro Vulcan leaves Royal Air Force (RAF) service with the disbandment
of No.50 Squadron at Waddington in Lincolnshire.

3
September

35,000 British troops are air-transported to West Germany for the Lionheart
and Cold Fire exercises. This is the largest deployment of British troops
since the Second World War.

October
Two Westland/Aerospatiale Pumas of 33 Squadron are detached from Belize
to Mexico City to assist in relief work after the Mexico City earthquake.

3 November – 16 December 1985
Royal Air Force Lockheed Hercules participate in an emergency airlift
of food and supplies to Ethiopia in the wake of severe drought, famine
and civil war (Operation Bushel). During the deployment, RAF Hercules
flew 1,198 air-landing sorties and 954 air-dropping sorties. 17,788 tonnes
of supplies were air-landed and a further 14,380 tonnes air-dropped.

5 November
No.229 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, receives
the first two Royal Air Force Panavia Tornado F2s.

9 November
No. 849 Squadron at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, Cornwall, becomes
the world’s first helicopter airborne early warning unit.