SO, an anonymous letter writer (HAS, May 24) wants the RAF to risk its unique priceless Lancaster by flying over the Derwent Dam at 60 feet?

Perhaps he would also like them to try taking off vastly overloaded with petrol and bombs, as many did and failed during the Second World War.

They did it because there was a war on and they had no choice but to take risks like that every day.

Guy Gibson’s bomb aimer, Spam, a man who had done 30 missions over Germany, summed it up after the first practice attempt: “Christ! This is bloody dangerous.”

Which, Gibson says, meant it certainly was risky.

Bill Bartle, Barnard Castle