HISTORIC planes paid a surprise visit to Hampshire after taking part in a flypast in London to mark the centenary of the RAF.

Three Spitfires and two Hurricanes were snapped by members of the camera club of the Hampshire Chronicle’s sister paper the Daily Echo as they touched down at Southampton Airport, where the Spitfire made its first flight in the 1930s.

The airport tweeted: “We’ve had an amazing surprise visit from Spitfires and Hurricanes from the (flypast) that took place in London earlier today. What a sight.”

Yesterday thousands gathered outside Buckingham Palace, where the Royal family was assembled on the balcony, to see the flypast of 100 aircraft including the new F-35 fighter.

Earlier they attended a special service held at Westminster to mark the centenary of the RAF, which was formed following the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.