MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

RAF pilot killed in Battle of Britain reenactment

Squadron Leader Long was the sole occupant of the aircraft (Pic RAF)

Royal Air Force (RAF) Squadron Leader Mark Long died Saturday when his Spitfire fighter crashed during a reenactment of the Battle of Britain Coningsby base in Lincolnshire. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has recently taken an additional interest in military affairs, described the incident as “awful” news.

 Long was flying a World War Two-era aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) based at Coningsby which houses a collection of wartime fighter and bomber aircraft performing air shows and memorial displays. Only a few dozen airworthy Spitfires remain, including six that belong to the BBMF. No other occupants were aboard the aircraft and no victims were reported on the ground. “Nobody else is thought to have been injured as a result,” a statement from Lincolnshire Police read.

After the crash at around 1.20 pm local time, emergency services responded promptly, but Long was already dead, it was reported.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared their condolences, saying they were “incredibly sad” to hear of the tragedy. An investigation has been opened into the cause. Road closures were set in the Dogdyke Road and Sandy Bank areas.

The Spitfire was a short-range, high-performance aircraft. Over 20,300 of them were built during WW2.