The clear blue skies over Wolverhampton were filled with magnificent men in their flying machines as aviation fans celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first all-British flying meeting.

The only cloud on the horizon at Halfpenny Green Airport in Bobbington yesterday was the event’s clash with the England game, affecting attendance.

The site, which does not have a TV licence, was a World Cup-free zone but that suited most of the 600 or so visitors just fine. Salon owner Alison Reeves, of Compton Road, Merridale, said: “It’s fantastic to escape all the football talk.

“I’m a fan of these small countryside shows and I’m enjoying listening to all the enthusiasts.”

Around 100 planes, old and new, were dotted around the 400-acre site while others were flown in from other parts of the country to the delight of the watching crowds.

A 1940s band dressed in army uniform played songs from the period as visitors wandered through the hangars inspecting the exhibits.

Among the highlights were a Percival Prentice, a monoplane used by the RAF as a trainer just after the war, and a Dragon Rapide which took visitors up on 45-minute tours to Bridgnorth and back. In its heyday in the 1950s, the Rapide regularly flew holidaymakers from Wolverhampton to Jersey and the Isle of Man for £12 return.

The first flying meeting, in June 1910, took place at Dunstall Park Racecourse and was only the third flying meeting ever to take place in Britain, with aviation still in its early days.

Generous prizes were awarded for feats such as the shortest take-off run and time spent in the air.

Among the special guests at yesterday’s celebrations was Wolverhampton aviation expert Alec Brew.

The 62-year-old said: “It’s been a fantastic day.”