Author Topic: A flight in G-BMSB  (Read 5802 times)

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Offline TomL

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A flight in G-BMSB
« on: October 25, 2019, 05:01:33 pm »
Treated myself to a flight in G-BMSB over Kent. If you ever considered taking a flight in a Spitfire then go ahead and do it because it's a once in a life time amazing experience.

« Last Edit: October 25, 2019, 05:03:18 pm by TomL »
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Offline Phmode

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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2019, 05:51:31 pm »
Big envy here Tom. And you look quite the part.

Were you still that colour when you landed?

Offline sudolea

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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2019, 05:57:36 pm »
What's that Spitfire's link with Canada ?
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Offline TomL

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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2019, 06:07:05 pm »
What's that Spitfire's link with Canada ?
MJ627 was built at Castle Bromwich in 1943 as an LF MK IXc and entered service with 441 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) serving with the RAF.
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Offline TomL

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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2019, 06:16:35 pm »
Big envy here Tom. And you look quite the part.

Were you still that colour when you landed?
The photos were taken after the flight. Mind you I was glad that we only did one victory roll.

I was allowed to fly the Spitfire apart from the take off and landing and the victory roll. I did a lovely steep turn over Brands Hatch just a some bikes came out of the pits onto the track.
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Online Matt

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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2019, 06:25:01 pm »
Wow! That looks amazing and your grin says as much!

How might one go about arranging for this to happen?
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Offline TomL

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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2019, 07:07:14 pm »
There are a few places that do it now but even though Duxford is nearer for me, I liked the look of this place at Biggin Hill. https://flyaspitfire.com/

They are the main establishment for looking after Spitfires in the world. They even service and maintain the BBMF Spitfire for the RAF.

Afterwards myself and guests were taken on a tour with a guide of their Heritage hangars which was brilliant with some very interesting refurbishments taking place. https://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=75874
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Offline sudolea

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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #7 on: October 25, 2019, 07:22:50 pm »
...
Afterwards myself and guests were taken on a tour with a guide of their Heritage hangars which was brilliant with some very interesting refurbishments taking place. https://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=75874

... and the first photograph that I see is a refurbished Messerschmitt. As a Brit, I wouldn't call thát "heritage"  :-[        ;)
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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #8 on: October 25, 2019, 08:29:01 pm »
I would. I it's all incredible stuff... Oh I belatedly spy smileys haha

EDIT by which I mean to say, it's great to see everything that was involved, and and if anything the triumph of the Spitfire (and its friends) it is even more impressive when one sees how capable the opposition technology was, and with regards to the 109. :)
« Last Edit: October 25, 2019, 08:32:11 pm by Matt »
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Offline sudolea

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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #9 on: October 25, 2019, 09:07:39 pm »
...
 and if anything the triumph of the Spitfire (and its friends) it is even more impressive when one sees how capable the opposition technology was, and with regards to the 109. :)

A lot of reasons there were, of course : "home runs" & tactical superiority of the Spitfire over the 109, the radar, ..., ...

I'm jealous of a flight with a Spitfire, to be honest ...
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Offline TomL

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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #10 on: October 25, 2019, 10:19:42 pm »
Because of its rarity the Messerschmidt was one of the most valuable aircraft there.
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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #11 on: October 26, 2019, 08:49:08 am »
I understand that it is now possible to fly in the ME109 at Sywell, too.

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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #12 on: October 26, 2019, 10:57:36 am »
A great experience for you Tom. If I didn't get air sick, I'd consider it. May I ask the price of all this frivolity Tom?  :)

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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #13 on: October 26, 2019, 12:03:55 pm »
Wow Tom. What an experience. Good for you.
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Offline TomL

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Re: A flight in G-BMSB
« Reply #14 on: October 26, 2019, 03:01:09 pm »
A great experience for you Tom. If I didn't get air sick, I'd consider it. May I ask the price of all this frivolity Tom?  :)
I'm not a big fan of aerobatics. When I did my PPL it took me a couple of days to get over the recovery from a spin, training. I don't know how I managed to drive home afterwards. We did a victory roll on the Spitfire flight and that was enough for me. You can ask for no aerobatics to take place.

The cost of my flight should have been £2,750 but I had a discount code which brought it down to £2,600. There are all sorts of extras which can be added on which push the costs up considerably. Things such as flying past the white cliffs of Dover or the Needles. I've flown a light aircraft past these many times and I had to draw the line costwise somewhere.
Years ago a friend of mine did a flight across the Bay of Biscay in Concorde. It cost him £500 and I thought he was mad. Now I really regret that I never took a flight in Concorde myself.

Last year I took flight in a Dragon Rapide. A tail dragger biplane with engines that I learnt to work on when I was an apprentice at Bristol Siddeley. I don't think that these will be flying for too much longer. Earlier in the year I took a flight in a Tiger Moth.

The Spitfire flight was an unforgettable experience and it took me ages to wipe the smile off my face. An opportunity to fly such an iconic aircraft will not be around for ever.
As I have grown older, I've learned that pleasing everybody is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake.