Saturday 15th September 1990. 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain and the RAF put on the biggest commemorative airshow for the event over London, flying up the Mall straight at Buckingham Palace.
![Opening with all Airworthy Spitfires and Hurricanes available](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0016.jpg)
The fly past opened with every airworthy Spitfire and Hurricane in the UK that day. Then if a Squadron fought in the battle and was still in existence - it sent aircraft for the fly past. It was flown at "zero feet" - which the announcers mentioned was the lowest each aircraft type was prepared to fly.
![Lancaster](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0019.jpg)
![1940 Squadrons still flying sent aircraft](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0027.jpg)
![Canberras!](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0029.jpg)
![Nimrod](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0031.jpg)
![C130-Hercules](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0032.jpg)
![VC10 - Tankers](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0034.jpg)
![Red Arrows - still flying the Folland Gnat in those days](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0035_0.jpg)
To close - the oldest Spitfire and Hurricane which had been at the front had peeled back and came up the rear to close. Pre-digital - this was all shot on film with no previews like we can do now to check exposure. To add to the difficulties - I was under trees on the Mall and many shots were fired blind - timed (basically "guessed") based on the approaching roar of camera shutter noise rolling up the Mall! This Spitfire was a lot lower than I focused for!
![Spitfire in the tree tops](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0037.jpg)
![Hurricane was not much better](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0036.jpg)
![and hand to "Jink" round Buckingham Palace](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0038.jpg)
Later in the night - The City of London was "blitzed" by a fireworks display.
![St Paul's 1940 Blitz](/sites/default/files/inline-images/1940_0.jpg)
![Air Raid Sirens sounded. Searchlights started to probe the sky](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0041.jpg)
![St Paul's was wreathed in "smoke and fire" again](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0045.jpg)
![Incendiaries burned](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Scan0050.jpg)
It was quite a day.