Ted Cruz crowd loudly boos Donald Trump as billionaire's plane flies overhead in Cleveland

A crowd gathered outside at a Ted Cruz event on Wednesday afternoon and loudly booed Donald Trump as the billionaire's plane flew overhead before landing in Cleveland.

"Our party now has a nominee," Cruz said, addressing the event.

Seconds later, Trump's plane flew overhead, prompting the audience to erupt into boos as the Texas senator grinned and nodded his head.

"That was pretty well orchestrated," he joked as the boos subsided.

Referring to Jeff Roe, his former campaign manager, he added: "Jeff, did you email them to fly the plane right when I said that?"

Cruz and Trump battled earlier this year in a fierce fight for the Republican nomination.

Toward the end it got ugly, with the New York businessman tweeting an unflattering photo of Cruz's wife and suggesting that his father had a role in the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy.

Cruz is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night, despite still declining to endorse Trump.