Northolt nightshoot 2025

For me, this was an important one. A first and final opportunity to properly photograph the RAF Puma before it retired at the end of March 2025.

The only shots I had of this venerable aircraft were in the appalling weather of the 2023 flypast for the Queens funeral at RAF Benson, which I don't believe did this workhorse justice.

When I saw the list for the Northolt nightshoot, I couldn't say no. This was my first Northolt nightshoot, and was overall a positive experience. There were a couple of cancellations, namely the German Dornier 228, although this did not dampen the mood much as the Puma was the highlight of the evening.

Military aircraft from the night were as follows:

...and the highlight for many people was the RAF Puma HC.2 XW224 from 33sqn