Fr Chris Ingle, the Parish Priest of St Michael's in the High Salvington area of Worthing enjoyed a "flight of a lifetime" on-board a Spitfire to celebrate a "big birthday."
He said: "It was a moving experience to fly in such a graceful and historic aircraft."
Parishioners felt prompted to organise a collection for Fr Chris two years ago.
Once airborne, Fr Chris was able to assume controls of the aircraft and take advantage of the bright weather as he soared above Biggin Hill Aerodrome in Bromley.
He was once a fast jet pilot with the Royal Air Force.
Referring to the aerobatic manoeuvre, Fr Chris added: "Completing a couple of victory rolls was the icing on the cake!"
He was accompanied in the two-seater plane with a qualified instructor.
Fr Chris flew a MK IX Spitfire, a machine built at Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands. It entered service in September 1944, twelve months before the conclusion of World War Two.
His friends hired an observational aircraft to fly in formation with the Spitfire and to capture the remarkable journey on video.
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