Many years ago, I was lucky enough to get to sit in the cockpit of a Spitfire at Duxford (thanks to my old friend Derek Fisher, who helped with aircraft restoration at the site); the delightful sound of a Merlin engine is something that I have written about before; I still have the Airfix models I made of the Spitfire and Hurricane when I was much younger on display in my home…
…and yet yesterday I missed an opportunity to see the greatest aircraft display in my lifetime.
I admit that I made a mistake and I regret it. I just wish that I’d made the decision to take the day off and drive towards Goodwood. The Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary fly past didn’t make it as far north as the skies of Milton Keynes and so I had to watch the coverage of the largest number of Spitfires/Hurricanes flying in formation since WW2 on the telly instead.
On that subject, Channel 4’s coverage was excellent and I urge you to catch up with “Battle of Britain: Return of the Spitfires” on 4OD if you missed it. Prince Harry was brilliant, Tom Neil the 95 year old, former BoB pilot/wing commander was inspirational and the filming of the aircraft in flight, well that was sublime.
I am envious of those on the south and east coasts that were on the flight paths and, whilst I accept that trying to buy a ticket for Goodwood at the last minute would have been fruitless, I am gutted that I didn’t study the flight plans earlier and take myself (and a pair of binoculars) somewhere/anywhere with aircraft spotting potential.
Included in the flying display were three two-seater Spitfires (Tom Neil took to the skies in one of them). I have no idea what one has to do, or who one has to know, to get up in one, but securing a flight would have to rank as one of the greatest experiences that a bloke could have – as good as watching one’s children being born or watching one’s future wife walking down the aisle.
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…and yet yesterday I missed an opportunity to see the greatest aircraft display in my lifetime.
I admit that I made a mistake and I regret it. I just wish that I’d made the decision to take the day off and drive towards Goodwood. The Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary fly past didn’t make it as far north as the skies of Milton Keynes and so I had to watch the coverage of the largest number of Spitfires/Hurricanes flying in formation since WW2 on the telly instead.
On that subject, Channel 4’s coverage was excellent and I urge you to catch up with “Battle of Britain: Return of the Spitfires” on 4OD if you missed it. Prince Harry was brilliant, Tom Neil the 95 year old, former BoB pilot/wing commander was inspirational and the filming of the aircraft in flight, well that was sublime.
I am envious of those on the south and east coasts that were on the flight paths and, whilst I accept that trying to buy a ticket for Goodwood at the last minute would have been fruitless, I am gutted that I didn’t study the flight plans earlier and take myself (and a pair of binoculars) somewhere/anywhere with aircraft spotting potential.
Included in the flying display were three two-seater Spitfires (Tom Neil took to the skies in one of them). I have no idea what one has to do, or who one has to know, to get up in one, but securing a flight would have to rank as one of the greatest experiences that a bloke could have – as good as watching one’s children being born or watching one’s future wife walking down the aisle.
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