RAF Coningsby is one of only two fully operational RAF stations left in Lincolnshire.

Today it is home to the very modern Eurofighter and the Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancaster of the very historic Battle of Britain Memorial Flight which our tour members will see close up during their visit.

Modern Eurofighters slice through the sky above the roar of historic Rolls Royce Merlin engines

Back in 1941, when it opened, its first occupants were 106 Squadron from Five Group flying Hampdens on operations to Germany. These boys were followed a few months later by 97 Squadron flying the new, and deadly unreliable, twin-engined Avro Manchesters – the precursor to the famous Lancaster.

When the Lancs arrived here to replace Avro's terrible Manchester twin-engined bombers one of their first ops was a thousand Bomber raid on Cologne, in May 1942.

Among its Lancaster pilots that night was Guy Gibson, 106’s  new commanding officer who boosted the Squadron's reputation as a crack outfit and brought him to the attention of Bomber Command's new chief, Arthur Harris.

Then just 23, Gibson who would go on one year later to form the famous Dambusters Squadron. In fact 617 would end up based here after the Dams raid.

 After the war Coningsby remained a bomber station, housing Canberras and Vulcans, until 1964 when it became a fighter station equipped with Phantoms and Tornados.

Now Eurofighter Typhoons slice through its skies_amid the spine tingling roar of the Rolls Royce Merlins of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight .