Old plane hitches helicopter ride to its new home in British air museum

A retired RAF fighter plane has arrived at a museum collection in England, after hitching a ride with the help of a Chinook helicopter.

The Hawk, best known as the jet used by the famous RAF Red Arrows display team, was transported by the helicopter across Wiltshire from a defense base at Boscombe Down to its new home as part of an aviation collection at the Old Sarum Airfield near Salisbury.

Flying across the Wiltshire countryside, the helicopter and the plane suspended beneath it on a sling offered a unique sight to people travelling between Salisbury and Amesbury, said the Royal Air Force.

The RAF said the move of the jet marked the 45th anniversary of the Hawk aircraft. The plane moved in the operation was the original prototype that flew with the Empire Test Pilots School, making it a unique piece of history within the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection.

The RAF said the awesome lift and precision made the Chinook the perfect aircraft for transporting unusual loads. Utilizing its 3 hooks, the aircraft can lift nearly its own weight, and deliver it precisely to a location within just a few centimeters of accuracy.

The Hawk was introduced into the RAF in 1974 as a single engine jet and remains in use, including by the famous RAF Red Arrows display team.