Spitfire makes rare flypast over Northumberland airfield
A piece of aviation history returned to the skies of Northumberland above Eshott Airfield in the shape of a Spitfire.
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) Spitfire TE331 flew over while making its return journey to RAF Coningsby following an appearance at the International Ayr Show - Festival of Flight in Scotland.
The rare flypast attracted a large crowd of aviation enthusiasts, photographers and families who gathered at Bockenfield to capture the historic aircraft as it passed overhead.
The airfield, formerly RAF Eshott, has a significant place in Northumberland’s aviation history. During the Second World War, the station was home to No. 57 Operational Training Unit (57 OTU), which trained fighter pilots for operational service.
For many of those gathered, seeing a Spitfire flying over the former wartime airfield provided a particularly poignant link between Eshott’s past and the present.
TE331 is operated by the BBMF and is one of the flight’s historic Spitfires, preserving the legacy of the aircraft and the men who flew them during the Second World War.