Spitfire Soars Again, 90 Years After Its Historic Flight

A Historic Flight to Celebrate 90 Years of the Spitfire

Telegraph readers have a chance to win an unforgettable flight in a historic Spitfire fighter plane. This opportunity comes as part of a special commemorative event marking the 90th anniversary of the aircraft’s first flight. The Spitfire, an iconic symbol of British resilience during World War II, has once again captured the imagination of people across the country.

As the elliptical wings of the Spitfire rose into the sky, it was clear that something extraordinary was happening. The moment marked exactly 90 years since the first flight of the aircraft that played a crucial role in defending Britain during the war. Even seasoned professionals who had seen countless flights were moved by the significance of this occasion.

Tim Peake, a retired astronaut and former resident of the International Space Station, took part in the celebration by piloting a specially liveried Spitfire from Southampton Eastleigh Airport. The event took place on Thursday, with Mr. Peake lifting off shortly before 5 p.m. Guests, including representatives from The Telegraph, witnessed the historic take-off from the original home of Supermarine, the manufacturer of the Spitfire. The first flight of the aircraft occurred at Eastleigh on March 5, 1936.

Even a business jet carrying executives from a FTSE 100 company paused to watch the Spitfire’s departure. A racing-green Rolls-Royce, meant to transport the passengers, was left idling on the tarmac as the guests observed the venerable warbird.

Mr. Peake started the vintage fighter’s Rolls-Royce Merlin engine at 4:37 p.m. on Thursday, precisely 90 years after the engine was fired up for the original test flight. The Spitfire, known by its RAF serial number K5054, flew over the grave of designer R.J. Mitchell and a newly installed plaque at Southampton Airport that marks the aeroplane’s birthplace.

Mr. Peake expressed his feelings about being chosen to pilot the commemorative flight. He said, “There’s just so much tradition and history. I’ve loved the Spitfire ever since I was a young boy, and it’s just one of those aircraft that’s so evocative. For so many people, it means so many things. So to actually be representing all of those people and the emotions that go along with that, was a huge privilege.”

The vintage fighter, a two-seat conversion of an original wartime Mark IX example, will now embark on a journey around the UK. The commemorative flight will consist of nine legs, each representing a decade of the aeroplane’s storied history. In a charity auction, the rear seat on each of those legs will be made available to the public.

Sqn Ldr Paul “Ernie” Wise, the incoming commanding officer of the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), who was present in Southampton on Thursday to witness the anniversary flight, said, “What we’re aiming to do is not only commemorate, but we’re looking to promote.”

Two charities will receive the funds from the auctions: the RAF Benevolent Fund and the Mark Long Trust, named after the BBMF officer who was killed in a flying accident two years ago. Sqn Ldr Wise described the trust as “very, very close to our hearts,” adding, “Mark was a dear friend, a brother of the flight and the light out of the darkness.”

Matt Jones, the chief executive of Spitfires.com, organizer of the commemorative events and Mr. Peake’s co-pilot for Thursday’s commemorative sortie, explained the importance of the collaboration between his organization and the Royal Air Force. He said, “By bringing our two organizations together for these flights, we’re making a commemoration that isn’t a ‘sit on the ground, look in the skies’ commemoration. It gives people the opportunity to really interact.”

Readers of The Telegraph will have the opportunity to win a flight in “K5054,” a chance described as “the tenth of the nine flights.” Entrants to the competition, which can also be entered using the form below this article, are invited to describe what the Spitfire means to them in 250 words or less. Submissions will be judged by Mr. Peake and will result in one lucky Telegraph reader winning a flight in the historic aeroplane from Southampton to its home base at Goodwood Aerodrome on April 17.

During its journey around the UK, the Spitfire will be accompanied in the air by a selection of RAF aircraft. While details are still being confirmed, it is understood that this will include the BBMF’s historic machines as well as modern operational types, such as the front-line Typhoon interceptor jet.

Previously, The Telegraph chronicled how Mr. Jones’s company flew a special Silver Spitfire around the world, a feat previously thought impossible for the single-engined, single-seat short-range interceptor. The aircraft used for that mission was stripped of its customary, two-tone wartime camouflage and instead flew in a bare metal finish, emphasizing the curves of the Spitfire’s design.