A photo shared on the Facebook page ‘Aviation MT’, credited to Godfrey Mangion, is creating quite a bit of nostalgia among aviation enthusiasts, taking us back exactly 50 years to this very day – 30th January, 1975. Back then, Malta was still an important military hub, thanks to its strategic location in the Mediterranean.

Even though Malta had already gained independence from Britain in 1964, the British military still had a strong presence on the island under a defence agreement. At the centre of it all was Royal Air Force (RAF) Luqa, where military aircraft stopped to refuel, undergo maintenance, and support operations across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.

The photo in question features the Victor K.1, a plane that started its life as part of the UK’s nuclear deterrence force before being converted into an air-to-air refuelling tanker. It was a workhorse, helping extend the range of British military planes, and Malta played a key role in its operations.

However, this chapter in Malta’s aviation history was coming to an end. Just two years after this photo was taken, in 1979, Malta officially became a neutral state, and the British military completely withdrew from the island, bringing an end to RAF operations at Luqa.

Do you remember Malta's RAF days?