Fresson Trust event plane crashes on Unst in Shetland

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The Hornet Moth
Image caption,

The plane was marking the 75th anniversary of flights between Aberdeen, Inverness and Shetland.

A vintage aircraft has crashed on the island of Unst in Shetland.

Enthusiasts Mark Preston and Kevin Dick were flying the Hornet Moth. They are not thought to have been badly injured.

The plane was part of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of commercial flights between Aberdeen, Inverness and Shetland.

The flights were pioneered by aviator Capt Ted Fresson. His work is recalled and celebrated by the Inverness-based Fresson Trust.

Retired British Airways pilot, Mr Preston, owns and flies the 1936 de Havilland Hornet Moth biplane.

The red and silver liveried aircraft is nicknamed Ariadne. In 2006, Mr Preston landed the plane on a beach on North Uist in the Western Isles.

The celebrations included an unveiling of a bronze memorial at Shetland's Sumburgh Airport to mark the 75th anniversary of its formal opening by Capt Fresson.

Set up more than 20 years ago, the Fresson Trust recalls the Scottish aviator's efforts to launch and fly commercial flights between the 1930s and 1950s.

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