"The whole experience was unforgettable"

The whole experience was unforgettable. Safety is a number one priority and the staff are welcoming and helpful. It a true family experience.

"Fly a Spitfire"

As soon as the Spit took to the air, the mighty V12 pulled the plane through the air and further into the clouds. This elegantly designed aircraft has proven itself well in World War II and over the years. Together with the pilot's high level of skill, I felt SAFE at every moment. IMPRESSIVE is the word.

Not to forget the warm feeling of welcome that team FlyaSpitfire gave me that day. I am very honored to have contributed a little bit to the preservation of this heritage.

Kind regards from the Netherlands – Richard Zandvliet.

"The best !"

My first flight in a spitfire back in June last year was the beginning of a love affair with these incredible warbirds. Some think it’s an expensive indulgence, I say the utter joy of a spitfire flight will long out-live the memories of a 2-week luxury holiday.

Through a long cold winter I recalled that fabulous sunny day in June last year when I took to the skies in a spitfire for the first time. As June this year approached again I found myself loitering on the Flyaspitfire.com website once more and before I knew it, I’d booked another flight.

I’ve visited the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar a few times since last year’s flight - the Battle Of Britain Hangar Tour was superb and the Technical Tour I did in the Autumn was fantastic with an incredible engine run at sunset. During my visits I’ve learned a lot about the many amazing warbirds that grace Biggin Hill and one particular aircraft stood out for me - spitfire MT818, G-AIDN. She was the first ever factory produced two-seat Spitfire MT818 and is one of the most original still flying today, as well as the only surviving prototype Spitfire of any variant. I just knew I had to fly her!

The guys at Biggin Hill were super-helpful and carefully noted my request to fly MT818 from their amazing fleet of spitfires. Whilst no request can be 100% guaranteed because much depends on aircraft maintenance schedules and availability, I was absolutely over the moon to arrive on Friday to see her waiting for me on the apron, fuelled up and ready to take me to Beachy Head.

I was warmly greeted by the team and we went through the safety briefing and I got kitted up in a flying suit. It was a blisteringly hot day but the attentive staff kept handing out chilled drinks as I got ready. I absolutely love the authentic wartime decor in the passenger lounge. It really gets you in the spirit for your flight. I had a briefing with Steve, my pilot, who took note of my request to perform a victory roll over the grave of my hero, military engineer Guy Maunsell, as we flew over Southborough (we actually did two!)

Having flown before, much of the detail was familiar to me, but the one thing that is unique is that the three two-seater spitfires operated by Biggin Hill (yes, they have THREE two seaters and goodness knows how many single seat spitfires!) all have their own quirks and individual personalities. Last year I flew Grey Nurse (TE308) who felt smoother. By comparison, in MT818 her glorious rattles and creaks meant I got a real sense I was flying in a wonderful piece of aviation history.

I took a deep breath and inhaled a lungful of those fabulous fumes as her merlin engine fired up (the boys at Biggin fHill really need to bottle this scent - they’d make a fortune selling it!)

Again, I upgraded to include the Chase Plane so my friends could fly too. I throughly recommend doing this. Not only does it mean they get to share the fun, but they will be able to take some amazing photos of you flying. You don’t have to be a brilliant photographer either as the chase plane flies amazingly close to the spitfire so even iPhone pictures will look ace. But if you wanted to have a photographer accompany you this could be arranged too).

We were blessed with clear blue skies and the pure white cliffs at Beachy Head looked particularly stunning with the tide out. In my opinion this is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the UK and there’s no better way to see it than through the canopy of an 80 year old warbird - just as those very young pilots would have done during the war, only under very different circumstances back then.

During the flight I was able to take the controls and fly her myself. At that moment I felt an immense sense of joy that I was one of probably only a handful of people on the planet doing that at that moment in time. What price can you put on an experience like that?

All too soon we were landing back at Biggin Hill to enjoy a fantastic private tour of the Heritage Hangar (whetting my appetite for flight number 3?) Before leaving, I was given lots of free gifts: a full set of SD cards from the three GoPros which filmed my entire flight, a beautiful signed flight certificate, Pilots Notes, a flight suit patch and an “I Flew A Spitfire” car sticker which has pride of place next to last years sticker.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! There are few opportunities in life to do something truly exceptional - this is definitely one of them.

"Spitfire Flight a day to remember"

I was celebrating one of those milestone birthdays and was very lucky enough to have been given this a present. It was a truly amazing experience ,the whole day was just wonderful from start to finish and my pilot Dan made the trip even more memorable. An added delight was that the whole flight both mine and my families on the Chaser Plane was recorded and I have many fantastic photos to relive the experience as often as I like. To everyone at Biggin Hill Airport who looked after us so amazingly well including the tour of the working hanger A Big Thank you one and all .From Michael and family

"Life time memories of flying a Spitfire"

Wow, what an experience. From when you arrive to when you leave the staff are so friendly. The Spitfire ride was insane, such a fantastic experience, well worth every penny.

I will never forget the whole experience, from flying over our house to the victory rolls over the Golf club.

If you like flying or are in love with the most iconic plane ever to fly, you have to do this!

"Brilliant just brilliant"

Brilliant just brilliant, amazing experience barrel rolling along the white cliffs is unbelievable. Staff were all brilliant. Expensive but worth it. Memories for life.

"Amazing experience"

Amazing experience. I will never forget the Barrel Rolls over Beachy Head and taking the controls and flying a Spitfire. Family watched from the chase plane and got some spectacular air to air photos. All the staff were friendly and did everything to make the day special. If you are thinking of doing this, DO IT!

"Flight in a Spitfire"

The whole day was amazing. The ground crew couldn’t have been more helpful. I had my family there (13 adults and 3 children). The dispersal hut has been kitted out in 1940’s memorabilia and accommodated all my group. Free tea, coffee, water and soup, even Bovril! I flew in a 1943 SPITFIRE T.9 – MJ627 and my pilot was Jez. Some of my family also followed the chase plane. I got to take the controls for a few minutes which was completed mind blowing. You can feel the Spitfire through the stick and she was beautifully responsive. Jez did some amazing acrobatics, I think he was trying to make me sick Lol but I was enjoying it too much. I’ve still got a smile on my face two days later. You also get footage of you in the cockpit and a forward camera too. Because my family flew beside me we also got the go pro footage from their plane of me flying. After the flight you get a guided tour of the workshops too, brilliant. Finally I was lucky to meet an American Second World War veteran who was shot down in a b17 bomber aged 19 and was a prisoner of war and survived the death March! Casey Bukowski, an amazing man. He’s now 99! Look him up on Google..He went up in a spitfire flanked by another spitfire and a p51 mustang. A truly awesome sight. The roar of 3 Merlin’s together! Ican’t thank the people at fly a spitfire enough. Thank you all for making my 60th birthday present the best.

Peter

"Really enjoyed the whole experience"

Really enjoyed the whole experience. Friendly and helpful people from the minute I arrived to when I left. Easy to understand briefings and soon sitting in a spitfire. Pilot really friendly and I was able to have a fly myself, also they arranged to fly over my house. Liked the hanger tour too, quite surprised by the range of vintage aircraft and maintenance carried out. I would love to go again!

"Spitfire Flight"

From arriving until we left the staff were so good. The whole experience, spitfire flight and chase plane, was amazing. The tour of the Heritage Hanger was very interesting and you could just take your time.