Gallery: Getting ready for the wildfire season in Cyprus
Training sorties before the wildfire season starts are an important way to get skills fresh and ready for the demands of the job as soon as they are needed. AS1 Natalie Adams, from the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF), captures a Chinook from 1310 Flight as it prepares for the Cypriot summer ahead
Chinook crews from 1310 Flight (Flt) have been conducting training sorties from RAF Akrotiri, practicing water collection and drops using the Bambi Bucket as part of their aerial firefighting capability in Cyprus.
1310 Flt is a Chinook detachment of three aircraft, which was stood up at RAF Akrotiri to fulfill the sovereign base area treaty requirements to maintain an aerial firefighting capability.
1310 Flt’s parent squadron is 27 Squadron (Sqn) based at RAF Odiham, which is the home of the UK Chinook Force. The squadron has covered roles from reconnaissance, night-fighter, and anti-shipping to support helicopter, and it has flown aircraft including the Elephant, Dakota C4, Tornado GR1, and Puma. In 2017, the squadron supported the UK relief effort in the Caribbean after Hurricane Irma.
In Cyprus, crews have been making sure that their skills are sharp for the full firefighting cycle: finding a water source, dipping the suspended bucket into open water, then delivering controlled drops over the designated areas. This essential training ensures crews are prepared to support wildfire response efforts as soon as the season begins, protecting lives, infrastructure, and the environment.
In July 2025, the 1310 Flt played a vital role in supporting Cypriot authorities during the island’s largest wildfires since 1974, operating intensively over two days to help contain the fires.
As wildfire seasons become increasingly demanding, regular training ensures RAF crews remain ready to deliver this vital capability whenever it is required.
RAF Akrotiri is on the southernmost point of Cyprus, and serves as a busy Permanent Joint Operating Base that supports ongoing operations in the region as well as the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus. Alongside the firefighting missions of the Chinook aircraft, RAF Akrotiri’s Griffin helicopters play an important search and rescue function in collaboration with the Cyprus Police and National Guard Air Command.
August 2026
Issue
August is a special time of year, and it is my pleasure to present a special Women in Aviation edition of AirMed&Rescue. We have features on the importance of preventing and knowing the early signs of hoist spin; the leadership roles and the value of visibility of women in the industry; the inward-facing and external sensors improving special missions; and the variety and standards that flight suits have to meet.