A WARRANT officer is saying goodbye to the RAF after more than 37 years of ensuring aircraft stay in the air.

Colin Finch, 54, of RAF Leeming, is hanging up his uniform following a long career in engineering and aircraft maintenance which began in 1977.

He trained as an aircraft fitter and his is outstanding technical skills saw him swiftly promoted through the ranks.

Husband to school teacher Tina for more than 30 years, he has served at Leeming on three occasions during his RAF career.

His first posting to the base was was in 1992 where he worked on Tornado F3 aircraft maintenance and service and he and his wife decided to settle in the area where their children Lee and Louise, who are both now law graduates, attended school.

Colin said: “We loved the area, the kids were doing well, had just started school and we decided that stability during their education was important.”

During his time in the RAF he has also served in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and the Falklands and has also frequently been deployed to the Mojave Desert, California, to evaluate new equipment.

However although he is retiring he won’t be saying goodbye to Leeming or aircraft - and has already started transitional training for a role within Babcock, which provides vital engineering and service support to military flying.