UK In Action: Royal Navy Rescue & Olympic Flame

Royal Navy Search and Rescue Squadron to Carry the Olympic Flame to Land’s End • Olympic Flame arrives into Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall on 18 May • 771 Naval Air Squadron to carry the flame in a Sea King Helicopter on 19 May • First time a ‘live flame’ is carried as a passenger The Royal Navy is proud to announce that its Search and Rescue Squadron has been selected by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to transfer the Olympic Flame to Land’s End for the start of the UK Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. On the evening of Friday 18th May, the Olympic Flame will arrive at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose onboard a British Airways, gold-liveried aircraft from Athens. After an overnight stay at the Air Station, the Flame will be flown to Land’s End by 771 Naval Air Squadron in a Sea King helicopter that has been used for many lifesaving missions across the South West. On landing, one the four aircrew will jump out of the aircraft and take the Olympic Flame to the start of the London 2012 Torch Relay, so that its momentous journey across the UK can begin. The Olympic Flame will then travel 8,000 miles across the UK to within 10 miles of 95% of the population. 8,000 Torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame for approximately 300 metres each, passing the Olympic Flame from torch to torch until it reaches the Olympic Stadium on the eve of 27 July.

img from UK MoD By: Widow 6-7