The Vulcan to the Sky Trust, based at Bruntingthorpe Airfield, has been fighting to get the 30-year-old jet off the ground since the multi-million pound project was launched in 1997.

It is the oldest Vulcan left in existence and was the last to fly (on March 23, 1993).

The plane finally took off again today (Thursday, October 18) at about 12.25pm.

Witnessing the historic moment were banks of photographers, TV camera crews and members of the trust including founder Dr Robert Pleming.

People miles away in Harborough were also able to spot the bomber in the skies.

High-speed taxi runs took place at the airfield yesterday (Wednesday, Oct 17) and people involved with the project were confident it would get airborne today.

The Avro Vulcan Bomber XH558 was moved to Bruntingthorpe in March 1993 and the trust was formed in 1997.

The painstaking restoration almost had to be abandoned in 2006 after the project ran out of cash but it was saved at the last minute by a £500,000 donation from Sir Jack Haywood.

* Get next week's Lutterworth Mail for a full feature on the project.

*Did you see the bomber make its historic flight or capture a photograph? Email alex.blackwell@harboroughmail.co.uk