This year’s RAF Leuchars Airshow is to be the last, the Ministry of Defence has announced.
Defence Minister Dr Andrew Murrison said the event would be the last of its kind at the RAF station in Fife.
It is transforming from an RAF base to an army base by 2015, with its fast jets transferring to RAF Lossiemouth.
The RAF said it was “giving serious consideration” to various options, including a replacement for the Leuchars Airshow.
At the base, Air Commodore Gerry Mayhew, air officer Scotland and station commander of RAF Leuchars, told The Courier that “planning and delivering a safe and successful airshow requires a dedicated RAF team at Leuchars”.
He said: “The reality is that after the 2013 airshow the RAF will be fully committed to relocating to RAF Lossiemouth.
“The Typhoon squadrons based here at RAF Leuchars and their Quick Reaction Alert mission will move to RAF Lossiemouth over the course of the summer and into the autumn of next year, so it is impractical for the Royal Air Force to host an airshow here next year.”
Air Commodore Mayhew said the RAF is conducting a UK-wide review of all airshow commitments and while it is “inappropriate to pre-empt the outcome of this work”, he said the RAF are aware there are many events that would welcome RAF involvement, including a number of established airshows such as those in Prestwick and East Fortune.
Asked if the national airshow review might result in any future military show at Leuchars after it becomes an army base, he said: “I think it’s in the mix,” but added that no decisions had been made.
The review aims to report before the end of this year.
RAF Leuchars is due to pass into army ownership on April 1 2015, with the bases’s Typhoon squadrons and around 600 personnel due to relocate to RAF Lossiemouth sometime between June and September next year, and the rest to follow.
A crowd of at least 35,000 people is expected to attend the airshow, which is the 65th Battle of Britain Home Day to be held at the Leuchars base.
The theme of this year’s event is Attack and Protect in recognition of the station’s motto and in line with its primary mission maintaining Quick Reaction Alert as the UK’s northern air defence base.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters raid and, 617 Squadron, created to fly the Dambusters mission in 1943, is now based at RAF Lossiemouth.
To mark the occasion, the display will include a special flypast in recognition of the significance of the Dambusters when the Lancaster from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight takes to the skies alongside a Tornado GR4 from 617 Squadron sporting commemorative 70th anniversary tail art.
Other highlights will include the Red Arrows, the Typhoon solo display and the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
The weather forecast is for it to be cloudy in the morning and brighter in the afternoon.
With three park and rides operating, motorists are requested by police to follow the appropriate signs.