A pair of Second World War planes have completed a flypast over Perth in honour of an RAF veteran.
A Spitfire and a Hurricane, from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, travelled over the Tay in memory of Flight Lieutenant Ernie Homes.
The former pathfinder died last October at the age of 100, after devoting much of his life to aviation.
Following his death, Ernie donated his body to medicine and so was unable to have a proper funeral.
The flypast, featured in our video above, was the RAF’s way of recognising Ernie – who volunteered to join the force aged 19.
More than 200 family members, friends and residents watched on as the planes – based at Lossiemouth – flew over the city on Wednesday, following a visit to Arbroath.
Mark Carpenter, who was taught by Ernie during his time as a flying instructor, said: “It was a lovely moment and a great way to remember him.
“It was a really fitting tribute. It was quite emotional, despite me having seen the flight before.
“I’ve actually flown in a Spitfire before as a passenger so it was lovely to see them.
“It’s not just him really, he was very anxious that it should also include all the other bomber pilots who were killed in action, there were 50,000 aircrew who lost their lives in the Second World War.”
One of the last surviving Lancaster Bomber pilots, Ernie flew pathfinder missions during the war and spent months in a prisoner of war camp after being shot down in the Netherlands by the Nazis in 1944.
When he returned to the UK he found out he had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and French Croix de Guerre for his service.
Ernie completed his basic training in Scone, where he met his wife Irene, with the couple having two children.
He later worked as a flying instructor for the Glasgow and St Andrews University Air Squadrons.
Ernie’s expertise in the air saw him travel to Iraq, where he was commended for saving the lives of two local students after his Cessna plane went up in flames on take off.
He also set up a flying school in Uganda, but as he began to lose his sight he returned to Perth and retrained as a social worker based at Perth Prison.
In 2018 a memorial was put up on the site of his crash in the Netherlands, and two weeks before his death the Leuchars-based headquarters of the East of Scotland University Air Squadron were named after him.
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