David’s air bid

Aviation fans had a glimpse of the world’s longest aircraft - piloted by a Rutherglen manwhen it was brought out of its hangar for the first time.

David Burns, 61, who grew up in Spittall, is part of a team in England who are working on trying to get the Airlander 10, a 302ft-long plane, up into the sky once again.

The part plane, part airship - delicately emerged from a giant hangar at Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire at 4am on Saturday.

Its fin tips passed just six metres from the sides of the hangar doors, before it was towed 30 minutes to its resting point at a primary mast site, one of two specially prepared on the airfield.

It is the first time the aircraft has been publicly visible and comes after tests on its engines, generators and systems were completed last week.

British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles ( HAV) launched a campaign to return the Airlander 10 to the skies in May 2015.