Flying with a Spitfire experience...

[nelly1]

Arranged this for my Dad a couple of weeks ago for his 75th birthday - and what a cracking day it was

He's always loved the Spitfire, and this was the next best thing to actually getting a passenger flight in one (which is practically impossible )

Met up at the Battle of Britain Memorial just outside Folkestone, then a 20 minute helicopter flight in a sychronised display with the Spitfire over the White Cliffs.

He was on

We got a great view from the ground, and the Memorial itself has a wonderful, serene atmosphere.

Thoroughly recommended.

Some pics...

[HoHoHo]

What a great present!

[SimonV8ster]

Wow !! Bet he loved that !!

[Mr_B]

Top present !

[nelly1]

He was just a touch emotional - both when we told him what his present was (the website has some great pictures and video clips) and on the actual day.

The Memorial itself was a great venue - peaceful, immaculately kept and very sobering. Lots of people of all ages and nationalities paying dignified respect.

Even my kids loved it...

[davepoth]

nelly1 said:

The Memorial itself was a great venue - peaceful, immaculately kept and very sobering. Lots of people of all ages and nationalities paying dignified respect.

Yes, it's a lovely spot, quite moving looking out over the Channel.

[nelly1]

Yep - some great views...




No fences or anything though, just 200 feet straight down

[Eric Mc]

That dog poop bin in the background looks a bit like the Nazi flag.

[anonymous-user]

I went there about 20 years ago. There's an old Martello tower up there. You drive down a road to the beach/front, the trains come out of the tunnel right next to you, along the front then into the tunnel near the Shakespeare Cliff.

[nelly1]

Eric Mc said:

That dog poop bin in the background looks a bit like the Nazi flag.

Trust you

[y2blade]

wow, fantastic

[nelly1]

Website here... BTW.

Far better pictures than mine here...

Edited by nelly1 on Saturday 13th August 18:13

[MattYorke]

When you say "practically impossible" - does this mean that is it possible, but telephone no. type costs? Or is it actually a complete no-go?

[nelly1]

MattYorke said:

When you say "practically impossible" - does this mean that is it possible, but telephone no. type costs? Or is it actually a complete no-go?

Typical website said:

CAN I ARRANGE A FLIGHT IN A SPITFIRE?

There are only a handful of 2-seater Spitfires in the world, and just three of these are flying in the UK. In addition, to be able to offer trial lessons, any aircraft must have a public category licence, and the instructor too must be licensed to take paying passengers.

Presently these two conditions are not met for any Spitfire in the UK.

So, unfortunately, the chances of arranging a flight in a Spitfire are pretty slim. However it is possible to arrange solo displays for individuals; for more information see the Grace Spitfire website or Anthony Hodgson's PT462 website. The third 2-seat Spitfire is based at East Kirkby and owned by a private collector; it too is occasionally flown at displays.

So, unless you work for Top Gear or somesuch, it's a no-go.

[Eric Mc]

Very few two seaters were built - and most of them were remanufactured single seat Mark IXs. The RAF never flew two seaters.

[Dr Jekyll]

http://www.boultbeeflightacademy.co.uk/

[filski666]

nelly1 said:

MattYorke said:

When you say "practically impossible" - does this mean that is it possible, but telephone no. type costs? Or is it actually a complete no-go?

Typical website said:

CAN I ARRANGE A FLIGHT IN A SPITFIRE?

There are only a handful of 2-seater Spitfires in the world, and just three of these are flying in the UK. In addition, to be able to offer trial lessons, any aircraft must have a public category licence, and the instructor too must be licensed to take paying passengers.

Presently these two conditions are not met for any Spitfire in the UK.

So, unfortunately, the chances of arranging a flight in a Spitfire are pretty slim. However it is possible to arrange solo displays for individuals; for more information see the Grace Spitfire website or Anthony Hodgson's PT462 website. The third 2-seat Spitfire is based at East Kirkby and owned by a private collector; it too is occasionally flown at displays.

So, unless you work for Top Gear or somesuch, it's a no-go.

aah, but if they gave you a flight for "free"* you wouldn't be a paying passenger and thus totally legal, surely?

• then you just give them a "present" for being so nice and taking you up in their nice shiny plane..........

[eharding]

filski666 said:

nelly1 said:

MattYorke said:

When you say "practically impossible" - does this mean that is it possible, but telephone no. type costs? Or is it actually a complete no-go?

Typical website said:

CAN I ARRANGE A FLIGHT IN A SPITFIRE?

There are only a handful of 2-seater Spitfires in the world, and just three of these are flying in the UK. In addition, to be able to offer trial lessons, any aircraft must have a public category licence, and the instructor too must be licensed to take paying passengers.

Presently these two conditions are not met for any Spitfire in the UK.

So, unfortunately, the chances of arranging a flight in a Spitfire are pretty slim. However it is possible to arrange solo displays for individuals; for more information see the Grace Spitfire website or Anthony Hodgson's PT462 website. The third 2-seat Spitfire is based at East Kirkby and owned by a private collector; it too is occasionally flown at displays.

So, unless you work for Top Gear or somesuch, it's a no-go.

aah, but if they gave you a flight for "free"* you wouldn't be a paying passenger and thus totally legal, surely?

• then you just give them a "present" for being so nice and taking you up in their nice shiny plane..........

There have been different variations on these 'workarounds' in the past - for example selling the punter a share in the aircraft before the flight, and buying it back again immediately afterwards at a reduced price, but the CAA has in the past year or so started coming down hard on operations trying to get round the Permit to Fly regulations - demanding additional captions in the cockpit pointing out the aircraft cannot legally operate commercially, and also limiting the number of passengers allowed on larger types.

[rhinochopig]

eharding said:

filski666 said:

nelly1 said:

MattYorke said:

When you say "practically impossible" - does this mean that is it possible, but telephone no. type costs? Or is it actually a complete no-go?

Typical website said:

CAN I ARRANGE A FLIGHT IN A SPITFIRE?

There are only a handful of 2-seater Spitfires in the world, and just three of these are flying in the UK. In addition, to be able to offer trial lessons, any aircraft must have a public category licence, and the instructor too must be licensed to take paying passengers.

Presently these two conditions are not met for any Spitfire in the UK.

So, unfortunately, the chances of arranging a flight in a Spitfire are pretty slim. However it is possible to arrange solo displays for individuals; for more information see the Grace Spitfire website or Anthony Hodgson's PT462 website. The third 2-seat Spitfire is based at East Kirkby and owned by a private collector; it too is occasionally flown at displays.

So, unless you work for Top Gear or somesuch, it's a no-go.

aah, but if they gave you a flight for "free"* you wouldn't be a paying passenger and thus totally legal, surely?

• then you just give them a "present" for being so nice and taking you up in their nice shiny plane..........

There have been different variations on these 'workarounds' in the past - for example selling the punter a share in the aircraft before the flight, and buying it back again immediately afterwards at a reduced price, but the CAA has in the past year or so started coming down hard on operations trying to get round the Permit to Fly regulations - demanding additional captions in the cockpit pointing out the aircraft cannot legally operate commercially, and also limiting the number of passengers allowed on larger types.

They're a joyful bunch the CAA, they really are.

For the same reasons I waited until I went to NZ to scratch my ride in a Pitts itch. The UK was expensive and the aerobatic display was pitiful compared to what was on offer in NZ. And amazingly I didn't die, nor did we nearly crash, and despite what the CAA may think I have a reasonable understanding of personal risk and felt that it was worth it. Still, they've got to think of the children.

[eharding]

rhinochopig said:

They're a joyful bunch the CAA, they really are.

For the same reasons I waited until I went to NZ to scratch my ride in a Pitts itch. The UK was expensive and the aerobatic display was pitiful compared to what was on offer in NZ. And amazingly I didn't die, nor did we nearly crash, and despite what the CAA may think I have a reasonable understanding of personal risk and felt that it was worth it. Still, they've got to think of the children.

Pitts experience flying in the UK is a different kettle of fish entirely - experience flights will be offered on a C of A aircraft operating on a commercial basis, hence not a problem. There are a number of operators in the UK who will be more than happy to show you the full range of figures a Pitts is capable of - I have no idea what avgas costs in NZ, but you'd have to factor in the cost of getting to NZ in the process.

The issue with two-seat warbirds is that they operate on a CAA Permit-to-Fly rather than a C of A - so essentially day VFR only, no commercial passenger flights.