20 mins in a Spit £2750

[silverfoxcc]

From Biggin Hill next year , 20 mins flying in a 2 seater Spit. Just enough to be put on the CC and not to dear to price it out of existence.
Must start saving

No link a present but was in either the DM or DE last week

[ecsrobin]

Or get 30min for the same price from Goodwood with Boultbee. They've been doing it a few months now. http://www.boultbeeflightacademy.co.uk/#!passenger...

[bunyarra]

Just given the Boultbee one as an Xmas/B'day pressie by the missus = been a Spit nut since I was 4 Built the huge Airfix model when I was 8.

Did the "fly alongside" bit last year but fell out with the people doing it after they accused me of being a commercial photographer. They finally agreed I wasn't but really soured the experience.

This one looks amazing and a lot cheaper than the alternative one in the USA.

[ecsrobin]

bunyarra said:

Just given the Boultbee one as an Xmas/B'day pressie by the missus = been a Spit nut since I was 4 Built the huge Airfix model when I was 8.

Did the "fly alongside" bit last year but fell out with the people doing it after they accused me of being a commercial photographer. They finally agreed I wasn't but really soured the experience.

This one looks amazing and a lot cheaper than the alternative one in the USA.

The team at Boultbee are a brilliant bunch plus they've had some high profile people fly with them. Your a very lucky man. So please share with us any pictures you get when you do it.

[RaeB]

I think it is Boultbee behind the Biggin Hill experience too. OH did it at Boultbee, a very emotional experience which he loved every moment of. Save up and do it, it's worth it.

[Mr_B]

Last year I looked at going to Stallion 51 in the US to fly their P51 for an hour. What with one thing and another, I never did get around to it but do still plan to do something like this. When the Boultbee team set up, I then become a bit torn between a flight in a Spit ( my great uncle was a Spit pilot in WW2 and thus became my dream aircraft ) which is much more expensive, half or a third of the flight time and no hands on flying, or 'settling' for a flight in a P51 where they actively want you to fly it as much as possible , even if like me you've never flown anything in your life. I did used to moan that no one offering flights in a Spit was a crime, now the choice is difficult.

[Sticks.]

There was a company providing a package from Headcorn last year which included time in a Tiger Moth, Harvard and Spitfire.

I didn't look into it cloely, but afaik you had to have the whoe package, which iirc was @£5k.

[miniman]

ecsrobin said:

Or get 30min for the same price from Goodwood with Boultbee. They've been doing it a few months now. http://www.boultbeeflightacademy.co.uk/#!passenger...

Boultbee said:

First of all there’s the possibility of an ENGINE FAILURE –In most non-pilot’s minds this means the end! It does not. Just like any other aircraft, the Spitfire will glide. And if there isn’t an airport near then that doesn’t matter either. The aircraft will stop in about 100 metres in any field we choose. The only reason we don’t do this all the time is because it will mean some damage to the aircraft, which would be costly! As an example, pilots during the war, most with very little experience, were landing badly damaged aircraft in fields day after day, heading off to the pub then flying again the next day. Not a problem.

I like it.

[Moose.]

I did Boultbee's Spit intro course last year and got to fly the Tiger Moth, Harvard and the Spit. Probably one of the best day's of my life:

http://indopilot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/spitfire-h...

If you can afford it, I can't think of a better way to spend that kind of money

[ecsrobin]

Moose. said:

I did Boultbee's Spit intro course last year and got to fly the Tiger Moth, Harvard and the Spit. Probably one of the best day's of my life:

http://indopilot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/spitfire-h...

If you can afford it, I can't think of a better way to spend that kind of money

Great write up moose.

[V8LM]

Mr_B said:

Last year I looked at going to Stallion 51 in the US to fly their P51 for an hour. What with one thing and another, I never did get around to it but do still plan to do something like this. When the Boultbee team set up, I then become a bit torn between a flight in a Spit ( my great uncle was a Spit pilot in WW2 and thus became my dream aircraft ) which is much more expensive, half or a third of the flight time and no hands on flying, or 'settling' for a flight in a P51 where they actively want you to fly it as much as possible , even if like me you've never flown anything in your life. I did used to moan that no one offering flights in a Spit was a crime, now the choice is difficult.

I've flown a couple of hours in Crazy Horse. Great fun and well worth the money.

[RobM77]

ecsrobin said:

Moose. said:

I did Boultbee's Spit intro course last year and got to fly the Tiger Moth, Harvard and the Spit. Probably one of the best day's of my life:

http://indopilot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/spitfire-h...

If you can afford it, I can't think of a better way to spend that kind of money

Great write up moose.

Great write up and photos - thanks for posting.

[danjama]

bunyarra said:

Just given the Boultbee one as an Xmas/B'day pressie by the missus = been a Spit nut since I was 4 Built the huge Airfix model when I was 8.

Did the "fly alongside" bit last year but fell out with the people doing it after they accused me of being a commercial photographer. They finally agreed I wasn't but really soured the experience.

This one looks amazing and a lot cheaper than the alternative one in the USA.

I take it you have pictures to share then?

[SimonV8ster]

Excuse my ignorance on aviation stuff but aren't these old planes limited in their life span, something like so many hours for the fusealarge ?

Won't this bring their flying life to an end sooner rather than later ?

I'm not being a kill joy, i would love to do it !!

Just curious ?

[Simpo Two]

I think that apart from the engine number plate, they're all rather like Trigger's Broom these days

But I didn't think you could use warbirds for hire/reward so some rules must have changed.

[ecsrobin]

Simpo Two said:

I think that apart from the engine number plate, they're all rather like Trigger's Broom these days

But I didn't think you could use warbirds for hire/reward so some rules must have changed.

The rules changed last year.

[Simpo Two]

Aha - but why? We are used only to rules getting more restrictive, not less...

[aeropilot]

SimonV8ster said:

Excuse my ignorance on aviation stuff but aren't these old planes limited in their life span

Yes they are.

But almost every one has been completely rebuilt with new bits over the years (more than once in some cases) so 'restarting' the clock all over again so to speak.

[Dr Jekyll]

Simpo Two said:

Aha - but why? We are used only to rules getting more restrictive, not less...

I think the point was that some operators were getting around the rules by offering 'members' of their highly expensive 'clubs' the opportunity for a 'free' flight. For example there was a Jet Provost operator offering what were effectively passenger rides a few years back.

Also, surprisingly, there is a significant faction within the CAA that does have common sense and understands that they should be facilitating aviation not preventing it.