IF you’ve ever paused in your garden around Bexhill, looked up and heard the unmistakable roar of a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, you’re not imagining things.
Those graceful Spitfires that sweep across our skies several times a day aren’t ghosts from the past, they’re very real and closer to home than you might think.
Operating from historic RAF Biggin Hill and other UK airfields, Flyaspitfire.com keeps these icons of the Battle of Britain alive and flying.
The company maintains and restores a remarkable fleet of original Spitfires, several of which often fly over our towns and over landmarks such as Beachy Head and the White Cliffs of Dover, giving residents unforgettable glimpses of living history.
Flyaspitfire.com, the World’s largest Spitfire operator offers Warbird experience flights across the UK, at Biggin Hill, Cotswold, Blackbushe, Blackpool, Norwich and Swansea Airports.
The company’s Headquarters is based at Biggin Hill Airport, on the famous Battle of Britain fighter station, is an airport which was in the centre of the Battle of Britain during the heights of 1940, operating both Spitfires and Hurricanes.
RAF Biggin Hill is now home to Flyaspitfire.com operating Spitfire and Mustang flights, and the Sister company, The Spitfire Company (Biggin Hill) Ltd, which restores and maintains Spitfires and to date has restored almost twenty Spitfires of various marks.
Onsite amongst its two hangars, it houses up to sixteen Spitfires in various conditions, from airworthy aircraft, to undergoing projects and aircraft awaiting restoration.
The company offers weekday guided tours of its Hangars at Biggin Hill so you can get the chance, to view the largest collection of Spitfires under one roof and see what it takes to restore and maintain the most iconic fighter.
The company operates three Two seat Spitfires; these are original two seat conversions. Its three two seat Spitfires were built as single seat Spitfires during WW2 and were then sold onto Vickers Armstrong after the war, Vickers converted them to two seat configurations, to then be sold to the Irish Air Corps as a high-speed trainer.
It is the only operator that flies three of the original conversions, including one its two seat Spitfires Spitfire T9 (MJ627) which shot down a Messerschmitt me109 over Arnhem in 1944, piloted by Canadian pilot Sid Bregman.
Its second two seat Spitfire T9 (TE308), is nicknamed ‘Sharky’, as she is currently painted in the scheme of the Grey Nurse Squadron of Royal Australian Airforce, a genuine Australian Spitfire scheme with Sharks teeth from WW2.
She was also a Movie star, (TE308) was used in the filming of the 1969 Battle of Britain movie, all the cockpit scenes in the film were shot in the front cockpit of te308, with the pilot flying the Spitfire from the rear seat, so they could capture inside cockpit views.
The company’s third two-seater, another unique aircraft, Spitfire Mk8 (MT818), the only Mk8 two seat Spitfire in existence, as well as the last remaining Spitfire prototype.
When Vickers converted the Spitfires to two seat configuration, they created a series of prototypes to test the design, its Mk8 Spitfire (MT818) was one of them, she is likely one of the most original Spitfires flying in the world and now flying passengers in an American scheme as Lady Ellen III.
Its three two seaters are painted in the schemes of Royal Air Force, USAAF and Australian Air Force, its way of remembering allies that flew Spitfires in WW2.
Experiences range from 30 minute to 75 minute flights, all available on the Spitfire and Mustang. Two of its most popular experiences includes Beachy Head and the famous White Cliffs of Dover.
For the Beachy experience, you depart from Biggin Hill, heading south passing over Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Royal Tunbridge Wells. At a cruise speed of around 200mph, the south downs will come into view and you will overfly Beachy Head and the lighthouse and after the option to do a couple of Victory rolls you’ll make your way back to Biggin Hill.
With a full range of packages, there’s the opportunity to share the experience with friends and family, with its Piper Saratoga Chase Plane which joins alongside your Spitfire Experience, allowing friends and family the opportunity to join the experience and enjoy close up Air to Air photography and memories that will last a lifetime.
To get £100 off any Spitfire flight use code ‘EBNEWS’ when contacting the team.
To book your flight, visit flyaspitfire.com, email office@flyaspitfire.com or call 01959 576 767.
