Wartime aircraft came thundering over neighbourhoods near Bristol today (Friday, June 3) as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight display. Two Spitfires and a Lancaster were spotted flying in formation over parts of South Gloucestershire and North East Somerset.
Although the route did not take them over Bristol itself, some people living on the outskirts of the city managed to spot the aircraft as they flew low over houses. They also circled Warmley Forest Park, which is hosting a Jubilee Bank Holiday Family Fun Day this afternoon and had advertised a flypast as part of the line-up.
According to the schedule on Military Airshows, a Spitfire was due to fly over the Warmley Family Fun Day between 2.15pm and 3pm, which ties in with the timings and location mapped on flight trackers. However attendees had an additional treat, with the Lancaster also tracing the same route and circling above Warmley, before travelling down through Somerset past Midsomer Norton all the way to Devon.
Read more: Why Queen was missing from today's St Paul's service
Images shared with Bristol Live show the aircraft flying low over trees at the park, and one attendee said "hundreds" had enjoyed the spectacle. The Jubilee celebrations there are ongoing, with food and drink stalls and a bar.
Patrick Collins shared images of the trio flying over Wick in South Gloucestershire, and said they were "loud and low" and flew past at least twice, but were "gone in seconds". Another spectator tweeted an incredible video of them passing over Siston as people clapped and cheered below.
Did you spot them? Let us know in the comments below or drop us a message on our Facebook page.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight team will display across the United Kingdom in 2022, with the season usually running from the beginning of May to the end of September each year. Pre-season work-up flying for the crews takes place in April, according to the RAF.
There are more displays scheduled for tomorrow and Sunday, but no other Bristol flypasts are listed on the schedule. The neighbouring counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire should be able to spot them, however.
The Armed Forces have been heavily involved in this weekend's Jubilee celebrations, with the Queen enjoying the Trooping of the Colour at Buckingham Palace yesterday (Thursday). The six-minute spectacle featured more than 70 aircraft including Apache helicopters, Typhoons and The Red Arrows.
The flypast also included highlights from the history of the RAF, with Puma and Chinook helicopters flying over the palace followed by the Lancaster, three Spitfires and two Hurricanes, all operated by the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
