It was an emotional day for plane enthusiast Ken Cothliff.

Watched by an eager crowd, at 2pm yesterday he lifted off from the tarmac at Leeds-Bradford airport aboard Canadian Armed Forces CP-140 Aurora, a plane rarely glimpsed over British skies.

And for Mr Cothliff, it was a special mission. His father, Sergeant William Gracie, was shot down in a similar plane in the Second World War a week before Ken was born.

Mr Cothliff's mission was to fly with its Canadian crew to former RAF base Elvington, near York, where thousands of spectators will gather this weekend for the Elvington Air Spectacular, which Mr Cothliff has helped to organise and at which he will commentate.

Mr Cothliff was given special permission by the Canadian Armed Forces to fly in the Aurora as a gesture of goodwill towards his father who was shot down, aged 23, on August 5, 1944 while flying for the Canadian Airforces during a reconnaissance trip, just north of Paris.

Mr Cothliff, owner of Air Supply of Yeadon and chairman of the RCAF's 6 Group Association, said: "I never knew my father and, after I was born, I was adopted.

"It wasn't until the new adoption laws in 1977 when I started to find out who my real parents were and I found out my father met my mother, Emma Murray, when she was working on Canadian Bombers in a factory in Liverpool."

Since then Mr Cothliff has spent time searching for photographs and memories of his father, and has even found the original telegram which was sent to Sergeant Gracie's mother telling her that her son had been reported missing in action.

"August is usually an emotional time for me because it's the anniversary of my father's death," added Mr Cothliffe. "But this trip has been wonderful."

The Aurora touched down in Elvington just over 20 minutes after it left Leeds-Bradford.

Piloted by Captain Mary Cameron Kelly, it's journey originally started yesterday in Nova Scotia, from where it flew via RAF Kinloss in Scotland to Yeadon to pick up Mr Cothliff.

Aviation writer Allen Rowley said: "The Aurora's an exciting 'spot' for enthusiasts. It's the first time it's ever flown into Leeds Bradford airport and it will be a great attraction at the air show - we're looking forward to the whole event."

The air show is at the former RAF base Elvington, York, today, tomorrow and Monday, 10am to 5pm.

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