The Story of the Lancaster

Three days from £479 per person departing on 16 October 2011

Enjoy a unique opportunity with The Independent to see a Lancaster Bomber on an original wartime airfield - and ride in it!

Tour highlights include your VIP day visit to East Kirkby including a taxi ride in a genuine Lancaster bomber where you have the opportunity to sit in each position throughout the aircraft including the pilot's seat, and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight exhibition at RAF Coningsby. You will also visit Thorpe Camp Museum, the home of "the Dambusters" 617 squadron.

Your guest speaker will be Robert Owen, an aviation historian and the Official Historian of the No. 617 Squadron Aircrew Association. His interest in the Squadron extends over 40 years and he is co-author of "Breaching the German Dams" for the RAF Museum. He has assisted the authors of numerous authoritative books on the subject together with a number of TV documentaries. He has also contributed to publications for the RAF Museum, Keith Park Memorial Fund, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the RAF's official publication commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

To book, call 0844 472 9906, and quote the offer code 'Independent', or email independent@traveleditions.co.uk

The price includes:

• Two nights' accommodation at the three-star Holiday Inn Lincoln with full English breakfast
• Welcome reception
• Sunday and Monday night dinner
• VIP day with lunch and refreshments
• All talks, tours, admissions
• Coach transfers and tour manager throughout

Sunday evening: Illustrated talk with Robert Owen and dinner with wine.

Monday: To East Kirkby with briefing before the tail down taxi runs in a genuine Lancaster bomber on your VIP day, where each group is kept to 10 people. The taxi ride is completely unique and very different to the experience from outside the aircraft. Your lunch is taken with the pilot and the Lancaster ground crew, providing you with another opportunity to ask them any questions and time to talk Lancasters! The VIP day gives you much longer inside the aircraft, boarding approx half an hour before your taxi run for you to look around the first half of the aircraft plus see the other half after your ride. All guests have the opportunity to sit in each position throughout the aircraft and sit in the pilot's seat. You finish off a memorable day with afternoon tea and homemade cake.

While one part of the group are at East Kirby the other visit the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight exhibition for a guided tour at RAF Coningsby. A unique opportunity to enjoy a BBMF hanger tour and see the Flight's historic aircraft at close quarters and to observe the BBMF technicians working to maintain them in airworthy condition. Travel on to Thorpe Camp Museum, the home of "The Dambusters" 617 Squadron' for a buffet lunch (included) on the site of RAF Woodhall Spa. RAF Woodhall Spa became operational in February 1942 and the South Hall of the Visitor Centre houses displays covering the airfield itself, and separate areas for each of the squadrons which operated from RAF Woodhall Spa during WWII. The 617 Squadron operated from the airfield until the end of hostilities and from here flew on many special operations during WWII.

Tuesday: The second group of 20 will enjoy the VIP day at East Kirkby with the others visiting RAF Coningsby and Thorpe Camp Museum.

Lancaster taxi ride terms and conditions: You must be mobile enough to board the Lancaster without any assistance and be able to exit the aircraft quickly should there be an emergency, without any assistance. Access to the Lancaster is by five steps with a hand rail and customers have to be able to climb around the interior of the aircraft which is a confined space and climb over the main spar. Prices are per person, based on two sharing and are subject to availability. These holidays are operated by Travel Editions, Abta V3120, a company independent of Independent Print Ltd. When you respond to offers we may use your information to contact you with offers/services we believe will be of interest. Please give your mobile or email details if you wish to receive offers by sms or email. We will not give your data to other companiese without your permission; please let us know if you are happy for us to do so. 0844 calls charged at 5ppm from BT landlines, other networks may vary.

NB: Exact order of excursion may vary according to local conditions and tour managers' discretion.