Awe and magnificence

The roar of powerful jet engines and the sight of the distinctive V-shaped aircraft caused a real buzz among crowds gathered at Strand Quay,

The Vulcan, the last that is still flying, was put through its paces above the town at around 4pm. Earlier it had delighted thousands of onlookers at Hastings.

Dr Andrew Bamji, who captured this dramatic shot of the Vulcan soaring past the Rye windmill, said: “The atmosphere on the quay was electric – and the knowledge of the plane that was demonstrated was quite remarkable. The last time I saw the plane flying was in Orpington in the 1980s, when it went to the Biggin Hill Air Show. It was lovely to see it back in the air.

The Vulcan XH558 was the last to leave RAF service, flying on from 1986 to 1993 as the single RAF Display Vulcan, a career of 33 years Family firm C Walton Ltd purchased her from the Ministry of Defence and maintained her, with the thought that one day, she might be returned to fight.