VE Day 80th anniversary flypast: RAF jets to soar over East Midlands next week - exact route and timings

Aviation enthusiasts in the East Midlands can catch a glimpse of a “large formation” of military aircraft taking place in rehearsals for the VE Day 80th anniversary celebrations.

The rehearsal, scheduled for Monday, April 28, will see both modern and vintage aircraft take to the skies in preparation for the full flypast over London on Monday, May 5.

The flypast on May 5 will form part of the VE Day celebrations, marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War.

In the event that the rehearsal on April 28 is cancelled due to weather concerns, it will take place the following day.

The rehearsal presents a rare opportunity for plane-spotters in Nottinghamshire to catch a glimpse of some of the RAF’s most famous aircraft.

VE Day 80th anniversary rehearsal flypast on April 28

The rehearsals will start in the vicinity of the North Sea adjacent to East Anglia at 11.45am, shown on the map as Area A.

The aircraft will then transit to Area B, which crosses the Suffolk/Norfolk border.

From Area B, the aircraft will transit to Area C, which covers RAF Cranwell and RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.

Those in Area C, including residents on the Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire border, can expect to see the aircraft between 1.20pm and 2.10pm.

Rehearsals over Area B will take place between 1.15pm and 2.10pm.