At 11:56 on Sunday 2nd April 2023, Spitfire MJ627 (G-BMSB) departed Biggin Hill airfield on runway 03 heading in a generally north easterly direction before turning south and heading towards Beachy Head (between Seaford and Eastbourne) with Squadron Leader Dunc Mason, MBE, piloting from the front seat and yours truly, passenger, in the rear seat.
A couple of minutes earlier, chase plane Piper PA-32R ‘Saratoga’ (G-PMCW) had led the formation and taken off with Donnamarie and Frank Stamp in the passenger seats.
Rendezvousing east of Sevenoaks, Dunc drew the Spitfire close to the left side of Saratoga and flew in close formation for a few minutes, allowing Donnamarie to take numerous photos of MJ627.
Dropping down and passing below the chase plane’s prop wash, Dunc manoeuvred the Spitfire to the right side of Saratoga to allow Frank to film, returning a few minutes later to the left side of the chase plane.
Dunc radioed a farewell to Saratoga and rolled the Spitfire left and away from the chase plane. The roll left was followed by a roll right, and once level flight was resumed, Dunc increased power and with the Spitfire’s Merlin engine responding magnificently, we quickly caught and passed the chase plane, leaving her in our wake as we pressed on to Beachy Head.
With the chase plane returning to Biggin Hill, Dunc offered me the chance to fly MJ, and with the customary “I have control” confirmation, I took the controls and proceeded to fly this wonderfully agile 80 year old aircraft down to Beachy Head.
Following Dunc’s instructions, I performed several turns to the right and left, pitching the nose up or down a little when necessary to maintain level flight.
Arriving at Beachy Head, Dunc took control of the Spitfire once more as we headed out over the sea, turning east and heading in the general direction of Eastbourne.
Passing the Beachy Head Lighthouse, Dunc turned MJ627 through 180 degrees and headed back the way we had come.
“Would you like to do a victory roll?” asked Dunc – “Absolutely!” came the reply from the back seat. Ensuring the local airspace was clear, Dunc increased power, pitched the nose up and rolled the Spitfire to the left through 360 degrees.
“How was that?” Dunc asked, “Feeling sick?” “Brilliant!”, I replied, “No, I’m not feeling sick”.
“Would you like another one?” Dunc asked – “Yes please!” the response. Checking the airspace once more, Dunc again increased power, pitched the nose up and this time rolled the Spitfire to the right through 360 degrees.
As we came out of the second victory roll, Dunc turned to the north and headed back towards Biggin Hill, handing control of the Spitfire back to me for several miles until we approached Royal Tunbridge Wells, when he assumed control once more.
Passing over the Heritage Hanger before turning left to join the circuit, Dunc executed a perfect, smooth landing back at Biggin Hill after a 40 minute flight.
Keeping a good lookout for other aircraft throughout the flight had been my brief and once back on the ground, Dunc thanked me for several ‘good spots’ of other aircraft I had mentioned during the flight.
Thanks Dunc for a wonderful experience and letting me fly MJ – she’s a beautifully balanced Spitfire and it was a joy to fly her.
A boyhood dream fulfilled! Not only have I been fortunate to have taken a flight in a Spitfire, no less one that saw active service in September 1944 when Pilot Officer Sid Bregman shot down a Messerschmitt ME 109 over Arnhem, I actually got to fly her!
I have so much admiration for all the pilots that get to fly these wonderful airplanes and give people like me the opportunity to experience them up close and in person.
I can’t thank all the wonderful people at the Heritage Hanger enough for their hard work and dedication organising these flights, the engineers that maintain these incredible machines, the pilots that fly them, and the ground crew that ensure the smooth running of the ground operation.
Finally, my special thanks go to Ray, BHHH’s Ops Manager on the ground – he is the glue that holds it all together, making sure you’re well looked after and keeping you informed of any developments whilst you await your flight; not an easy task when the weather turns and things go pear-shaped.
Ray told me an incredible story about a World War II Czech pilot called Karel ‘Kut’ Kuttelwascher. I’ve managed to find this bio that details what made this pilot so special – worth a read if you’ve got a few minutes to spare: The Czech Night Hawk