RAF Hercules crew finish 144-mile Thames trip in pedalos

A team of RAF aircrew and engineers have completed a 144-mile (232km) trip along the Thames in restored pedalos.

The 15 members of Hercules 24 Squadron from RAF Brize Norton pedalled for up to 10 hours a day over five days in aid of Breast Cancer UK.

The three pedalos were painted green in tribute to the recently-retired transport aircraft.

Squadron Leader Jim Roden said the challenge went "amazingly well", with more than £11,000 raised.

The challenge came about after a ground engineer at the base acquired and restored three recreational pedalos and wanted to use them to help a charity.

The four-person pedalos left from Lechlade in Gloucestershire and made it to London over the course of last week, travelling at about 3mph.

"We made it happen in military style," he said.

"Pedalos seem a good idea when you hire one on holiday and you can give up after 30 minutes," he added.

He said the team had chosen to support a cause that has directly affected both his and his colleagues' families.

"A lot of my colleagues have also been touched by this disease. We just wanted to choose a charity that was close to all our hearts," he added.

The Hercules transport plane, which was used by the RAF since the 1960s, was retired at the end of last month and is being replaced by the Atlas A400 and other aircraft.

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