Regiment's farewell flight takes in York Minster as it says goodbye to North Yorkshire base

EVEN battle-hardened veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan tours are finding the final day of Army aviation in northern England an emotional experience.

For some of the remaining personnel of 9 Regiment Army Air Corps, leaving their base at Dishforth Airfield, near Thirsk, parting with comrades they have served alongside and, in some cases, their families, remains a bitter pill they are struggling to swallow.

Commanding Officer of 9 AAC, Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Cook OBE, goes through the flight plan with the crews of the Lynx helicopter. Pictures: Sgt Jamie Peters RLC

Despite this, members of the regiment - which is being disbanded next month as part of a planned reduction of the regular Army by 20,000 personnel to 82,000 by 2018 - appear upbeat as they prepare for a unique and poignant farewell to North Yorkshire, the county they have called home for the last 26 years.

In the operations room of the expansive base, near Thirsk, helicopter pilot Sergeant John Greensmith is poring over charts ahead of the regiment's final flight from Dishforth, a tour of North Yorkshire.

"It is a sad day, there's a lump in my throat", he says, before quickly adding "We all knew it was coming and we've got to look forward."

Lynx helicopters from 9 Regiment Army Air Corps mark their final flight from Dishforth by passing the White Horse of Kilburn

When the base is handed over to a ground unit, 6 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps later this summer, the last remaining Army Air Corps personnel will be posted to various locations around the UK. Sgt Greensmith will move to his new regiment at Middle Wallop, Hampshire.

Like many of the personnel, he has family ties in the area, having grown up in Skelton-in-Cleveland. He, his wife Emma and baby son, Joseph, will have to say goodbye to 11-year-old daughter, Olivia, a boarder at Queen Mary's School, near Thirsk.

Lynx helicopters from 9 Regiment Army Air Corps mark their final flight from Dishforth by passing the White Horse of Kilburn

"We've bought a bolthole in the area so we can see Olivia at weekends", he says, adding that he has adopted a sense of perspective on the move, following large numbers of redundancies recently on Teesside.

He says: "The military has brought me opportunities I have to pinch myself sometimes to accept that I've had, coming with three A to C GCSEs and from the North-East, where there often isn't good job security."

The Lynx helicopters at Dishforth Airfield as they prepare for take-off

Sgt Greensmith is among four pilots who will be flying Lynx helicopters at 500ft in an arrowhead formation for the final flight. The route will take the aircraft over several North Yorkshire landmarks, such as Ripon Cathedral and the White Horse of Kilburn and places of significance to them, ranging from Catterick Garrison to Leyburn to York. Even the primary school attended by the daughter of the regiment's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Cook.

He explains the unusual farewell was at the request of residents, who wanted an opportunity to wave goodbye to the regiment that has become intertwined with communities across the county.

The formation of Lynx helicopters take in the North Yorkshire countryside

“It’s a hugely significant occasion for all of us, with most having established close and lasting links with the local area.

"One of the challenges about leaving Dishforth, which was last year home to 450 soldiers, has been that a lot of the soldiers here wanted to come to Yorkshire to be near their homes.

"The closure of the last northern Army Air Corps base means a lot of the lads will be a long way from home", says Lt Col Cook. "That has hit them hard, some have decided to leave, while others have decided to soldier on and accept the commute and the fact that their extended families are a long way away."

The Lynx helicopters pass over a North Yorkshire village

Since being stationed at Dishforth in 1992, the regiment has supported combat and humanitarian operations worldwide including in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, the Philippines and Afghanistan. During those missions, Lt Col Cook says, the families of personnel have been supported by the community.

“Yorkshire is a county that we view as home and it will be missed by all who have served here. I married a Yorkshire woman and it's my favourite county by a long way. People are so friendly here and the local towns have fantastic communities and facilities, so the soldiers and their families love it here."

While the North Yorkshire tour will be the regiment's final flight, Lt Col Cook's troops missions will continue, with many heading to Kenya for six months to provide air ambulance training.

"Although we are disbanding, we are still going on to the finish, and beyond," he says. "Moving on is part of being in the Army."