Spectacular photos show NHS spitfire flying over Kent

ajee@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 12:59, 01 August 2020 | Updated: 17:57, 01 August 2020

The first pictures have emerged of the spectacular NHS spitfire soaring across the Kent coastline today.

The specially-painted plane left its Duxford home at 11am, and has now passed through all of its scheduled stops in the county.

The specially-painted spitfire passing over Kent and Canterbury Hospital today. Photo: Tim Gutsell

It passed the first hospital in the area- Kent and Canterbury hospital- at 11.25am.

From there the aircraft - painted blue with the words 'THANK U NHS' on the underside travelled to Margate.

At 11.30am the plane was viewable over the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM).

Next on its list was Buckland Hospital in Dover, which it reached at 11.37am.

Only five minutes later, at 11.42am, it passed over the Royal Victoria Hospital in Folkestone.

The aircraft started flying across Kent at 11.25am. Photo: Tim Gutsell

Its last hospital fly-over was the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, which soared over at 11.46am before moving onto Conquest Hospital in Hastings.

The spitfire's owners, the Aircraft Restoration Company, have regularly been piloting the plane over medical facilities since the start of the lockdown.

Its first Kent trip was to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford on July 10.

Martin Graham also took some photos as the Spitfire flew over the QEQM Hospital in Margate earlier today.

Ellie Crook, who saw the aircraft fly over Ashford, described it as "the greatest opportunity to thank the wonderful NHS in a perfect way "

The spitfire has been to Kent once before. Photo: Tim Gutsell

To say an even bigger thank you to those working hard to combat Covid-19, the owners are now offering a unique opportunity.

The company has offered 80,000 spaces for people to nominate their heroes and have their names hand-painted onto the spitfire's exterior.

All you have to do to nominate one of your heroes is donate £10 minimum to its JustGiving page for NHS Charities Together, and put the name of the person you want to select in the donation notes.

The opportunity runs until September 20.