In pictures: Princess of Wales 'takes flight' over Lincolnshire during visit to RAF Coningsby

The Princess of Wales performed a loop-the-loop in an RAF Typhoon jet simulator as she met pilots on the frontline of the UK's air defences.

Catherine flew into RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, where she was shown around one of the fighter aircraft on stand-by to respond to any threats to national airspace, before stepping into a state-of-the-art simulator.

She later told waiting children how her son Louis wanted to be a pilot and apologised to some of the youngsters for not wearing a dress for her visit.

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Quick Reaction Alert

The princess arrived in a helicopter at the base for her first visit as its Royal Honorary Air Commodore, and was briefed about recent RAF operations, including supporting Nato in Poland.

She was then shown around a fully armed Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoon, which is ready to react to any threat facing UK airspace within minutes of an alert.

Wing Commander Luke Wilkinson, a pilot, gave the princess a tour of the aircraft before she climbed the stairs with him up to the cockpit.

QRA provides a 24/7 interception response based at RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.

Jets from Lincolnshire can reach London in under 10 minutes once they are scrambled.

Catherine tries her hand at a flight simulator

The royal visitor then moved to the newly opened Typhoon Future Synthetic Training facility, where she took the simulated controls of the fast jet. 

The Princess of Wales told instructor Geraint White that she had flown a helicopter simulation before but never a plane.

The princess 'flew' around the Lincolnshire countryside with the North Sea ahead and, at one point, appeared to perform a loop-the-loop manoeuvre.

Catherine met some of the pilots in training and asked about their time at RAF Valley, in Anglesey, where she lived with the Prince of Wales when he was in training as a search and rescue pilot.

She then moved on to visit a communal space called the Lounge, where she accepted the offer of a cup of tea and chatted to members of RAF Coningsby's welfare team.