Lancaster bomber takes to the Lincolnshire skies to mark 80 years since Dambusters raid
A Lancaster bomber has taken to the skies of Lincolnshire for a special flight over wartime RAF airfields to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the daring Dambusters raid.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) aircraft did a flypast of 27 Bomber Command bases in honour of the audacious mission, codenamed Operation Chastise.
It marked exactly 80 years since Lancaster bombers from 617 Squadron took off from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire on the night of 16 and 17 May 1943 to destroy dams in Nazi Germany's industrial heartland and cut off vital supplies in the Ruhr Valley.
The mission was a success, destroying two dams and damaging a third – but there were heavy losses, with eight of the 19 bombers involved shot down and 53 airmen killed.
Crowds gathered across Lincolnshire to watch the flypast and pay their respects to all those involved.
BBMF Lancaster PA474, based at RAF Conningsby, took to the skies, with Spitalgate the first flypast location at 18:58 BST.
The iconic roar of the engines as it flew low over RAF Ingham.
Not deterred by the rain, crowds cheer the flypast at Hemswell Cliff.
Swimmers at an Aquacise class wave to the Lancaster from the pool.
Flypast completed and back home against the backdrop of a beautiful sunset.
Loud applause over engines back at RAF Coningsby.
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