On Saturday 15th June, our Collective Training Operations Manager, Andy ‘Milli’ Millikin, embarked on his last ever Typhoon flight as an RAF reservist – all in aid of His Majesty the King’s Birthday celebrations in London.
Milli started flying with the RAF in 1992, and then went on to join as a full-time regular in 1995. He passed his training and flew Jaguars for two successful tours, before moving to Typhoon in 2005. In 2011, he joined the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) and flew with them for seven years, in both Hurricanes and Spitfires. Sometimes he even got to fly the Typhoon and the Spitfire on the same day – which he describes as feeling “like a dream, rather than reality.”
He left his full-time role in 2020 and joined Inzpire but continued his service as a reservist on XI (Fighter) Squadron at RAF Coningsby. During his time as a reservist, he has enjoyed flying with the next generation of RAF fighter pilots and conducted Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duties in the defence of the UK’s airspace. Andy departs from the Typhoon Force after achieving the record of the longest serving Typhoon pilot in the RAF, a fantastic achievement.
He said: “Leading the King’s Birthday Flypast on Saturday was a superb privilege, and I am indebted to the Typhoon bosses who allowed me to do it. It was an emotional sortie in every single sense of the word, with some aircraft issues and poor weather in the holding area to contend with.
“We set sail on time, and my wingmen had to work hard to stay tightly in formation through some very bumpy weather. As we approached London, it felt as if someone was smiling down on us, because the clouds parted to reveal blue skies for the actual flypast.
“Using the BBMF’s callsign ‘Memorial’ for my last sortie was incredibly bittersweet because of my strong links to the BBMF, but also for the tragic reason why they weren’t taking part this year. Taxying in was difficult as there was not only a lot of rain on the canopy, but my vision became blurry too for some reason.”
34 aircraft took to the skies above the crowds on The Mall and over Buckingham Palace, with three Chinook helicopters leading the way. This was shortly followed by three typhoons from 29 Squadron at RAF Coningsby – which is where Milli featured.
In a recent news article detailing the flypast, the RAF paid tribute to Milli ahead of his final flight:
“Even more fittingly, this formation will be led by Squadron Leader, Andy Millikin who is a previous commanding officer of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and an ex-Spitfire pilot. He is an ex-full time military pilot and is now a defence contractor who today is flying in his role as an RAF Reservist.
“The flypast, however, will be his last flight in a Typhoon as he reduces his Reservist commitment to the RAF, a proud and emotional day for him and his colleagues.”
Once Milli landed back in RAF Coningsby, members of the Inzpire team - including Andy Shaw and Scott ‘H-S’ Holliday-Stevens (pictured below) - were there to present him with a beautiful painting to mark such a momentous occasion, kindly commissioned by the talented Lisa Harding.
Congratulations Milli on such a wonderful career in the Royal Air Force. We’re very proud to have you here with us at Inzpire!
Images: Lisa Harding
