A pilot hopes to write the words of the Nation’s Toast in the sky above Cambridge - after the Gorleston man who was organising VE Day celebrations sponsored the display.
Bruno Peek, pageantmaster of the 75th anniversary commemorations, will be raising a toast from his front garden at 3pm on Friday (May 8).
At the same time, 84 miles away, the Global Stars, an five-man aerobatic team, will take to the skies above Cambridge and with smoke from their planes write on the sky the words: ‘To those who gave so much we thank you.’
Mr Peek had organised a series of events across the UK to mark the anniversary, all of which had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
And while he won’t be able watch the air display, he is “satisfied with the fact it is happening”.
“It’s a unique element of VE Day, you could say it represents the RAF,” he said.
Mr Peek said the Global Stars rang him and he said he was prepared to sponsor the flight and the sky-writing.
“I said I’ll sponsor you if you put the Nation’s Toast up,” he said.
MORE: ‘This might be the last time’: VE Day pageantmaster urges people to toast the veteransMark Jeffries, 61, a member of the team who has been flying for more than 40 years, said it will be the first attempt at sky-writing in the UK since the practice was legalised in March.
It had been banned forty years ago due to fears of pilots writing political slogans in the sky, he said.
Mr Jeffries also stressed that the display is entirely weather dependent, with the pilots needing clear blue skies.
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