Coombes' role in RAF 90th anniversary celebrations

Stephen Coombes (22) was among more than 800 personnel from the armed force who featured in the major celebration.

He spent two weeks being drilled to perfection ready for the ceremony in front of the Queen.

Her Majesty presented new colours to the RAF, watched by 5,000 invited guests at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

The occasion was marred by heavy rain. But senior aircraftsman Coombes said it was still a memorable occasion.

He said: "It was hard work preparing for the ceremony. I volunteered for it. It was the biggest occasion of its kind the RAF had held."

As well as the parade, 90 aircraft staged a flypast which stretched for more than two miles. It was the second-largest formation since the second world war.

Senior aircrafstman Coombes has been in the RAF for 15 months. He is based at RAF Leuchars in Fife where he is a flight operations assistant in the air traffic control section.

His job is to deal with vehicle movements and liaise with outside authorities while the flight controllers handle incoming and outgoing flights.

His presence in the 90th anniversary parade was to remind the guests the RAF consists of more than pilots.

He joined the RAF after a spell with the Air Training Corps on Chichester Road in North Bersted. He attended Nyewood Infant and Junior schools as well as Bishop Luffa School in Chichester