When farmer's son James Andrews decided to pop the question to girlfriend Floss Allen, he wanted to make sure she got the message loud and clear.

As romantic marriage proposals go, it's in a field of its own.

But when farmer's son James Andrews decided to pop the question to girlfriend Floss Allen, he wanted to make sure she got the surprise message loud and clear - by delivering it in 50-metre high letters across his father's land.

Mr Andrews then took Miss Allen on an impromptu flight over the family farm at Rockland St Mary, near Norwich, to give a perfect bird's-eye view and send their relationship soaring to new heights.

The 32-year-old project manager for a building company, who lives with his fiancée in East Sheen, London, had been waiting for the perfect moment to bring his great idea together with the help of his family.

“I'd been thinking for a long time about the best possible, most romantic proposal and one that was unique to us, with me being a farmer's son, and I thought this would be a great way to do it - to write the words in a field and then to see those letters from the air and give my girlfriend the biggest surprise,” he said.

Mr Andrews' father, John, advised his son to wait until after harvest and then use a kilometre-long stubble field.

“I had a great deal of family help, they were all in on the act,” added Mr Andrews.

“My dad marked out the letters in a Land Rover and got one of his tractor drivers to use a cultivator and to follow behind.”

A cunning ruse was invented to make Floss believe they were simply taking up an invitation of a flight over the farm that had initially been offered to Mr Andrews' busy parents on Saturday afternoon.

She grabbed the opportunity to fly above the patchwork of fields - not realising what else she would spy from the sky.

“It took a little time to get on course,” said Mr Andrews, who was on a wing and prayer that Floss would be able to see the message after all their hard work.

“I could see the words approaching and we came in at the wrong angle, but then she saw the word 'Floss' and was completely gob-smacked.

“Then we did a complete 360-degree turn and came round for a second approach and that's when she saw the full message and burst in to tears and said 'but of course'.

“I'd been trying to find the right ring but in the end I brought a ring from the house which I think belonged to my grandmother and gave it to Floss. I couldn't get down on one knee, though, because I was strapped in.

“We could see my family down on the ground waving.

“Floss was delighted but some of her friends' boyfriends have told me off for raising the bar so high,” he laughed.

Floss, 31, a sponsorship manager for the Premier League, said: “The plane was really small and just going up in that was really exciting, then I looked out and saw 'Floss' written out in the field - it was so surreal seeing my name written so huge.

“When I saw the rest of it I just started crying, and I could see James's family on the ground waving and jumping up and down.

“It was amazing.”

The couple, who have been together for six years, hope to tie the knot early next summer.