HMS Illustrious, the nation’s strike carrier,is paying a high profile visit to Liverpool.

The flagship arrived this afternoon and will stay until Tuesday, October 27, as the centrepiece of the Royal Navy’s continuing celebrations to mark this year’s "Centenary of Naval Aviation."

The ship, which will be moored at the Queen Elizabeth Cruise Liner berth close to the Royal Liver Building, will be taking part in a busy programme of events, the highlight of which will be a Centenary fly past over the carrier from 1.30pm, on Friday, October 23.

These days, the berths of the River Mersey are more used to receiving cruise liners than warships, and the sight of Battleship Grey always draws large crowds. When HMS Ark Royal visited in June last year, thousands took the opportunity to step aboard, and thousands more lined the banks of the river to wish her well when she sailed.

Mersey Ferries are doubling the number of River Explorer cruises from Friday to welcome the aircraft carrier.

Blue Badge Guides will be on all the cruises between Friday and Tuesday from 11am to give passengers live commentaries on HMS Illustrious and the aviation history of the Royal Navy.

Neil Scales, chief executive and director general of Merseytravel, which owns and operates the ferries, said:” The Mersey Ferries have earned their own place in naval history and we’re proud to be welcoming HMS Illustrious.

“We want to provide the opportunity for as many people as possible to join in the welcome.”

Full details of the services being operated are available at the Mersey Ferries website www.merseyferries.co.uk or by calling 0151 330 1444.

HMS Illustrious FACT FILE:

HMS Illustrious is the second of three Invincible Class Aircraft carriers, and the fifth ship to bear her proud name.

Illustrious, or "Lusty" as she is known fondly by all on board, was built at Swan Hunters Ship Builders Yard on the Tyne, and subsequently commissioned in her base port of Portsmouth in 1982.

In terms of her "vital statistics," Illustrious is an impressive 209m long, with a beam of 36m and a displacement of 22,000 tonnes.

She has ,1400 compartments and 15 lifts, and she is powered by four gas turbine Olympus engines (a marinised version of Concorde's), giving her a top speed in excess of 30 knots.

She has a full complement of more than 1,000 people, and can operate with a range of both rotary and fixed wing aircraft from the Harrier GR9 to troop-carrying Chinooks.

Her roles can vary widely, and include everything from Maritime Strike to Evacuation Operations; all of which she has ably demonstrated herself to be very much capable of fulfilling.

The ship’s motto, “Vox Non Incerta”, comes from a quote in the bible, specifically Corinthians I, Ch.14 v.8, which reads: "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?"

The motto then, means “No Uncertain Sound”, and suits Illustrious extremely well.