The man – identified only as Michael – was borne on the wings of love as he hired a skywriter to write “Maree Marry Me’ across the bright blue midday skies, complete with fluffy heart.

The grand gesture was watched from the ground by thousands of amazed onlookers, many of whom tweeted photographs of the extravagant proposal…

But Michael was brought crashing down to earth when Maree still turned him down – leaving the love-lorn loser looking plane stupid when he admitted that the couple’s eight-year relationship had ended in a split nine months ago.

“I thought there’s got to be something else I can do to show I care about her,” he told Daily Mail Australia. “I thought it would be a nice idea to see her name up in the sky and let her know how much she means.”

Sadly, his emotional outpouring cut no ice as the public proposal ended only in public embarrassment.

 “She said no and said she’s moved on,” confirmed Michael, who insisted he had no regrets. “For what the intention was for me it wasn’t expensive – I would have paid anything. At least I know I’ve tried my best.”

With Valentine’s Day approaching we give Michael deserves full marks for a valiant effort. But nine months on from a break-up? Still, every cloud has a silver lining. At least Maree didn’t hire a plane to write ‘Sod off’ across the skies…