Iron Maiden kicked off their Download Festival set with a real-life Spitfire.
The British icons closed the second day of the annual event at Donnington Park yesterday (15.06.13) and marked their first performance there in six years with a World War II fighter jet - borrowed from the Royal Air Force - flying overhead.
The legendary rockers powered their way through a hit-filled headline set, controlled the crowd from the moment 'Moonchild' kicked in, to Bruce Dickinson's revelation the band would return to the UK for a one-off show at London's O2 Arena on August 3.
He told a euphoric crowd: "We thought that because this tour has been such an amazing experience for band and fans alike, it somehow seems right to finish up back home in England and have the final show celebration on home turf.
"The O2 is a great venue to play with a really fantastic vibe, so we're really looking forward to this show being one almighty party!"
Meanwhile, Slipknot headlined the opening night of the three-day festival on Friday (14.06.13) with an emotionally charged set.
For the encore, the backdrop became a moving tribute to late bassist Paul Gray depicting #2, referring to his alias in the group.
Download Festival continues tomorrow (17.06.13) with German dance-metal stars Rammstein expected to close the weekend in a typically extravagant way.
Tagged in Bruce Dickinson Iron Maiden Slipknot