WHILE thousands of visitors will arrive by car for this year's Fly To The Past festival, one of Blenheim Palace's residents will be dropping in - from 10,000ft.

The Marquess of Blandford, the Duke of Marlborough's heir, will make a grand entrance while the July event is in full flow, as he glides to the ground by parachute.

The Brize Norton-based Royal Air Force Falcons, the UK's premier military parachute display team, are showing the marquess the ropes.

Each year, from May to September, the Falcons perform their aerial displays at shows around the UK. They were one of the first names signed up for Fly To The Past when this year's event, in Woodstock on Sunday, July 22, was being planned.

Flight Sgt John Keast said: "It will be an honour to welcome the marquess on board, as he goes through his training for the event, and he will be able to witness first hand how the professionals do it - but I would keep it plain and simple on the day if I were him."

The jump will be a first for the marquess, who helped organise the successful Fly to the Past shows in 2003 and 2005.

He said: "I'm delighted to welcome back the great British public, who have supported us at the past two events.

"I will be dropping in from 10,000ft and this is my first, my last and my everything, because I'm terrified.

"All the money raised from my sponsored parachute jump will be given to the Blenheim Bomber Restoration Foundation, so that one day a Bristol Blenheim bomber will fly again."

The festival will have flight-themed displays on the ground and a four-hour air show. To buy tickets, see www.flytothepast.com or call 01993 822822.