SPITFIRE

Present… and correct!

Paul Bussey had always wanted to fly in a WWII Spitfire, and after years of flight vouchers, of varying degrees, as presents from his everthoughtful wife, in 2017 she ramped it up a gear!

Knowing that I have a passion for flying in a wide variety of different aircraft, for as long as I can remember, my wife Elaine has always given me some kind of flight voucher for my birthday and Christmas present. Over the years these have varied from aerobatic flights in open cockpit biplanes, loads of gliding flights (motor glider too) aerobatics in a

Chipmunk and a flight in a microlight. However, at Above The Heritage Hangar Spitfire experience can certainly include aerobatics if you wish, and a chance to handle the controls. Photo: Richard Paver Christmas 2017, I opened my envelope, thinking it was a gliding voucher, only to discover it was a flight in a two-seater Spitfire at Biggin Hill! I had to take a second, third and fourth look, just in case my eyes were deceiving me. No, there was no doubt, it definitely was a flight in a Spitfire – yeehaaaaaarh! After Elaine had recovered from being showered with kisses and my pulse had resumed to a more normal level, a celebratory drink was in order, to toast

a long-held dream that looked like it was going to reach fruition. A great many years ago I’d said the two biggest ticks on my bucket list were a flight in Concorde, and a flight in a Spitfire. Well, I’d left it too late for Concorde, but the Spitfire flight was imminent. Included with the flight voucher, was comprehensive documentation on what I could expect on the day and safety information. It was, of course, December 2017 and it looked like I was going to have to wait many months before the Spitfire flight would happen. I chose one of the dates on the availability list, Sunday 13 May 2018, on the assumption the weather could be more favourable than March or April. They say you should never wish your life away, but in this instant, I did eagerly await May’s arrival – like no other month. Even though we only live 1.5 hours drive from Biggin Hill, we decided that we would stay overnight at a hotel in Kent, to be close to the airfield for the first Spitfire flight of the day at 10am. We stayed in Tunbridge Wells and it poured with rain most of the afternoon and evening, which wasn’t exactly a good omen for the following day. However, the forecast promised that the front that brought all the wet weather, would be miles away by Sunday morning, and it did dawn dry, if rather cloudy. The flight looked like it could be on. After a very light breakfast for me of just tea and toast, my wife Elaine tucked into a full English, we headed off to Biggin Hill. We arrived at the Heritage Hangar well in advance of the allocated time, which wasn’t a problem, and we Above The Spitfire Experience includes a tour of the Heritage Hangar, a flight certificate and a video of your flight.

Right Paul and wife Elaine, who generously bought him the flight as a Christmas present. I hope he didn’t buy her a new iron…

Below The rear cockpit, everything you would expect it to be. A video camera records you throughout the flight, and another camera records the forward view.

Below right Paul with Anna Walker, who conducted the flight. The whole exercise was friendly, slick and highly professional. were welcomed inside. For most of my life I’ve been something of a stickler for time keeping and almost without exception, I’m early for practically anything, which has paid extra dividends on many occasions. Prior to any flight, there is a full and thorough safety briefing, which is in the form of two video recordings that cover the aircraft, equipment and safety procedures. It’s made very clear that you will be flying in a genuine WWII aircraft, which although is maintained to exacting standards, it’s not the same as a commercial airliner. Having been an avid aircraft enthusiast since my early teens and flown in a great variety of aircraft, both as P1, P2 and passenger, and knowing the dedication that goes into maintenance of light aircraft, as far as I was concerned the Spitfire maintenance is every bit to the standard of an airliner and beyond. It’s also made very clear to you that at any time, should you wish to pull out of the flight, a full no quibble refund is available. My wife had also said, on a number of occasions, if I changed my mind and didn’t want to fly in the Spitfire, she would understand, and it wouldn’t be an issue. Pull out? Change my mind? Have second thoughts? No way! This was going to happen, right here, right now… well, in a few minutes time anyway. While I do have my own full flight kit, Nomex flight suit and gloves, etc, I was still fully kitted out with the Heritage Hangar approved apparel, including a parachute. Once the briefings were fully completed and understood, it was time to meet my pilot for the flight and I was absolutely delighted to be introduced to Anna Walker, whose reputation precedes her. What a stroke of luck, to be sharing the flight with someone who also enjoys my passion for classic and vintage aircraft, kindred spirits united. Anna’s brother also raced vintage and classic cars and after perusing a copy of my book, The Life & Times of a Classic Car Journalist & Photographer, she purchased one!

So now it was time to wave goodbye to Elaine (who could watch all proceedings from the viewing veranda) and get strapped into the Spitfire, MJ627. The history of this particular aircraft is already very well documented, so I will gloss over that and concentrate on the flight itself. Unbeknown to me, the rear seat can be raised or lowered, by means of what looks like a car’s handbrake lever to the right of the seat. Once comfortably ensconced in the seat and strapped in, the canopy was closed and locked. I then had to prove that I’d been giving the safety briefing video my full and undivided attention. I had to open the rear canopy myself, just in case of, perish the thought, a forced landing. I managed this successfully and it was deemed safe for the flight to proceed. I was given one final chance to change my mind and pull out of the flight, because once the engine had been started, you had gone beyond the point to cancel. While the weather wasn’t exactly gin clear blue skies and sunshine, it was pretty good, with excellent visibility, if a tad cloudy, though the base was quite high.

Beating heart!

It was now time to start the mighty Rolls-Royce Merlin engine and while I was relatively relaxed, I’ll admit to my heart beating a great deal faster than normal, in excited anticipation of what the next 30 minutes would reveal, not to mention having a rather dry mouth. The dream of a lifetime was about to happen, bring it on. In reality I could not have been in safer hands, with my wife Elaine being a chief cardiac physiologist and Anna Walker an ace pilot. Go women! The Merlin engine was initially rather reluctant to start. The propeller turned over, the engine fired but did not run. Anna made one or two adjustments and soon the Merlin fired up and settled into a steady tickover. Then it was a case of ‘chocks away Ginger’ (with apologies to the imaginary Ginger) and we were taxying towards the holding point for Runway 21. This was the first flight of the day, so the engine run up and power checks were quite a leisurely affair, getting it nice and warm. Then it was time to go and enjoy The Weald of Kent Spitfire experience. We lined up on the centreline of 21, full power was gradually applied, and we hurtled down the runway. OMG, the mellifluous crescendo of the Merlin engine was music to my ears. Soon we were airborne, climbing out over the Kentish countryside and then turning left towards the River Thames. This was it, I was flying in a genuine WWII Spitfire, totally absorbed in the noise, vibration and smell, constantly glancing at those magnificent elliptical shaped wings, happy days! Anna initially flew the aircraft before handing control over to me. Knowing my previous background in aviation and my general flying experience, I guess she was more than happy to do so, confident that I knew what I was doing. Once we had reached a safe height, Anna took control again and we completed the obligatory (for me anyway) Victory Roll to the left, and then Anna encouraged me to try one too! We then completed plenty of tight turns. I’m not sure how much stick time I had, but it was most gratefully received. It really was a case of: Look mum, I’m flying a Spitfire! Then Anna took control again and we flew over towards Brands Hatch racing circuit and completed a few more tight turns and general handling, prior to us heading back to Biggin. All too soon it was time to land, after which we taxied back to the Heritage Hangar. It seemed almost surreal. I’d just flown a Spitfire, did it really happen? Most certainly ‘yes’, and I could not have been in a happier place. Months of waiting, checking the weather, would it go ahead, would it be postponed? The actual relief and jubilation that the flight had gone ahead was immeasurable. Once we had parked up and the Merlin shut down, it all went very quiet. I clambered out and it was now time for the customary photographs, with Anna and Elaine, to record this momentous occasion. I thanked Anna enormously for making my flight so enjoyable and she went off to greet her next paying punter of the morning. But my day wasn’t quite over yet , the Spitfire flight experience also included a guided tour of the Heritage Hangar, to see their other Spitfires and aircraft being restored, not to mention quite an interesting collection of military and classic vehicles too. Also included on the day, was a framed and signed Flight Certificate, with Anna’s signature as Commander and mine as 2nd Pilot, a couple of splendid embroidered patches for my jacket, one being the Heritage Hanger Spitfire design and the other, most appropriately, a side view of MJ627 and the word Aircrew. Last but not least, you receive a set of Spitfire pilots notes and not one, but two recordings of the flight itself, one taken from the front of the rear cockpit and one from just behind your left shoulder. The cameras are of superb quality, with crystal clear footage and no vibration or blurring. I’ve since watched these on numerous occasions, reliving that fantastic day, like no other. How would I rate the Spitfire experience flight? Well, my Weald of Kent flight cost £2,550 (it’s currently £2,750). That’s a huge amount of money to part with, especially if you’re not well-heeled (which incidentally I’m most certainly not) and that’s just the short minimum flight time of approximately 30 minutes duration, of which 20 is airborne. My flight was the first of the day and was around 40 minutes from the time I got strapped in, to getting out after the flight. There are options to spend a whole lot more on extended flights. You can spend far in excess of £2,750 on a week’s holiday, or always justify it on something more practical. However, for an avid aviation enthusiast, flying in a Spitfire, must surely be the ultimate, or very close, depending on your viewpoint. For me, it’s an emphatic YES, I’d definitely recommend it. The Heritage Hangar runs a very slick, professional and friendly operation. While there are other flights on the day and they have a time schedule, at no time was I ever hurried. Go and realise the dream of a lifetime, there’s no point being the richest man, or woman, in the graveyard, you can’t take your money with you, but you can fly in a Spitfire! As a friend used to say on frequent occasions, “Get your mouldy old money out of your wallet/purse and go spend it!” My eternal thanks to my wife Elaine for giving me the flight voucher for my Christmas present. How do you follow up a flight in a Spitfire? In February 2018 I jumped off the foothills of a mountain in Tenerife and completed a tandem paragliding flight. Crazy or what? Absolutely, make a habit of it! ■