All-female RAF crew will take to skies over Wembley to support Lionesses in Euro final
31.07.2022 - 09:49
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
An all-female Royal Air Force crew will take to the skies over Wembley today to cheer on England ahead of the Women's Euro final.
The Lionesses are looking to secure their first major win in the much anticipated fixture against Germany, following a stunning 4-0 defeat over Sweden last week.
A C-130 Hercules transport aircraft crewed by three women, and flanked by two Typhoon fighter jets, will fly over the iconic Wembley Stadium as England prepare to face the competition's most successful side, the PA news agency reports.
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The Hercules, an aircraft that has recently been used to airdrop stores to troops during Nato exercises in eastern Europe, is captained by Flight Lieutenant Lauren, who has been in the Air Force for 12 years.
Flt Lt Lauren, who helped train the first female Afghan pilots when she was deployed in Afghanistan, has said watching the England team's success has been "inspiring."
"I’ve flown missions all over the world with the RAF, but this will be one of the most memorable. It’s been inspiring to watch the Lionesses progress and I will be loudly cheering them on as soon as I land back at RAF Brize Norton," she said.
England played in front of a competition-record 68,871 attendance when opening their campaign with a 1-0 win over Austria at Old Trafford, and Sunday’s final at the national stadium is a sell-out. The aircraft will fly over Wembley at 4.57pm, immediately after the national anthems and just before kick-off at 5pm.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: "I wish the best of luck to the Lionesses as they take on Germany at Wembley. It’s a landmark day for English football and women’s sport and it’s fantastic that the Royal