A Spitfire flypast is currently being planned to mark the 100th birthday of Captain Tom Moore, the war veteran who has managed to raise £21 million (and counting) for the NHS by walking laps of his garden.

Originally, Moore aimed to raise £1,000 by doing 100 laps before he turns 100 at the end of the month, as a way of saying thank you to the NHS for all the help he’s received over the years.

But as Moore continued lapping his 25m-long garden in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, the donations kept flooding in – and before we knew it, he was making millions for the NHS.

As a way of turning the birthday celebrations back onto him a bit, a team of aircraft restorers now hope to fly a WWII-era Spitfire over Moore’s Bedfordshire home to mark his 100th birthday on 30 April, according to the Telegraph.

Alex Monk, 21, of the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar in south-east London, said the flypast would serve as a salute to Captain Moore’s fundraising efforts.

He told the Telegraph: “It will be a bit of a morale-booster for us all, really, to see a Spitfire in the sky. It’s been the symbol of freedom in the past and quite an icon for Tom.

“Tom, more than anyone, knows what a Spitfire means, and to hear and see a Spitfire in the air for himself will be a nice experience for him.”

Moore – who was born and raised in Keighley, Yorkshire – said the NHS has been ‘marvellous‘ in helping him recover from both a hip replacement and skin cancer over the past couple of years.

The fundraiser, which was set up by his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore has been his way of showing his gratitude to those who have helped him – at a time when resources are stretched due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking on BBC Radio 2’safter completing his 100 laps Friday, Captain Moore said: “It really is absolutely enormous isn’t it. That sum of money is very difficult to imagine but it’s coming in so well.”

His daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore said: “Tom is clear that as long as people believe that he’s worth investing in, he will keep walking because this is for such a phenomenal cause.

“We know that this story will have a life to it, so as long as people are donating we’ll keep supporting my father to do it and he will keep walking.”