Spitfire flypast over Proms

The flypast will be the highlight of the Proms concert at Shugborough, near Stafford, on Saturday, August 4.

The Spitfire is due to fly over as the City Concert Orchestra plays the Battle of Britain March. The weekend opens on Friday, August 3 with A Tribute to Rock and Pop featuring the Commitments-style band Joey the Lips, The Fab Beatles and Queen-homage The Great Pretender.

Angela Rippon will compere a proms classics concert the next day which features the Midlands Symphony Choir and guest soloist Elizabeth MacDonald and conductor Adrian Jackson.

"It's the most wonderful thing to see when that Spitfire flies in – a sea of thousands of people waving their Union Jacks," said Mr Jackson, who also founded the orchestra.

"If it all goes according to plan, the Spitfire flies across exactly at the time in the Battle of Britain March when the Spitfires came over in the film," he added.

Spitfire pilot Rod Dean said it was a military operation with the Spitfire coming from the Duxford aviation museum in Cambridgeshire.

"We have to synchronise our watches half an hour before the Spitfire is due to fly in. Timing is particularly critical – because there is no radio it all has to be done on the stopwatch," he said.

Both concerts will end with fireworks choreographed to the music.

Tickets for Friday are £21 for adults and £10 for under-16s with under-sixes free.

On Sunday the adult price is £25.00 and under-16s are £16. All marquees and gazebos are now sold out, but patio chairs and tables may be hired, and hampers and champagne are also available.

Tickets can be booked online at www.promscon certs.co.uk or by telephone on 0845 126 0797.