Duxford 05/04/2024

[jeffreymg]

I live in Florida but went across the pond to see Duxford and it was beautiful. There was an airshow on the fifth and so they were practicing on the fourth. Single seat and double seats, spitfires flying hurricanes flying, PBY Catalina, flying and Harvards. i’ve seen this aircraft in the movies. But until today, I have never seen a Spitfire or Hurricane flying. It gave me goosebumps 

 

jeffreymg

IMG_2113.IMG_2113.heicheic IMG_2219.heic IMG_2102.heic IMG_2193.heic IMG_2099.heic IMG_2229.heic IMG_2237.heic

IMG_2237.heic IMG_2193.heic IMG_2271.heic IMG_2238.heic

Edited May 5 by jeffreymg

[Qcumber]

Nice pics!

I was there too! I live in Cambridge. 

I've not processed all mine yet but here is a pic of the Mk XVI in Mk IX colors of the USAAF. 

 

And another

[Qcumber]

And another

 

31 minutes ago, jeffreymg said:

But until today, I have never seen a Spitfire or Hurricane flying. It gave me goosebumps 

As I said above, I live on the edge of Cambridge and see Spitfires flying over every day. I still get goosebumps. 

[Yoda967]

Seeing a Duxford airshow was high on my list of things to do when I took my current work assignment in London. That first Battle of Britain airshow in September '18 was mind-blowing...there were 21 Spits in formation, plus a Mk I doing aerobatics at the same time. I stood by the fence and jumped up and down with excitement, which still gives my wife the giggles.

I'm glad you got to experience Duxford too, Jeffrey. It's a special place.

[Holbeach]

My first experience of the Mk1 at Duxford.

I was visiting the tank museum, then I heard this outside.

 

 

..

[jeffreymg]

I spent 2 nights in Cambridge and I fell in love with the town, saw my 1st cricket match. I will be back.

jeffg

[Qcumber]

On 5/7/2024 at 12:25 PM, Holbeach said:

My first experience of the Mk1 at Duxford.

I was visiting the tank museum, then I heard this outside.

 

 

..

Nice vid.

I've sat in that Spitfire. It's one of the events you can buy. Costs about £50. 

 

[Holbeach]

18 minutes ago, Qcumber said:

Nice vid.

I've sat in that Spitfire. It's one of the events you can buy. Costs about £50. 

 

What a fantastic experience.

Here are another 2 Spits from the same day.

 

 

..

[Qcumber]

35 minutes ago, Holbeach said:

What a fantastic experience.

Here are another 2 Spits from the same day.

 

 

..

Love it!!!

I never get bored of spitfires.

[Yoda967]

On 5/7/2024 at 12:25 PM, Holbeach said:

 

 

..

It's hard to believe that that Spitfire spent 45+ years buried in the sand on a French beach.

[Holbeach]

39 minutes ago, Yoda967 said:

It's hard to believe that that Spitfire spent 45+ years buried in the sand on a French beach.

Yes, I'll repeat its history here.

History: Ordered as part of contract B980385/39, April 20, 1939. Built by Supermarine Aviation, Southampton, 1940. - Merlin III fitted. - First flight from Eastleigh, February 23, 1940. Delivered to the Royal Air Force as P9374, 1940. - 9 MU, RAF Cosford, March 2, 1940. - Transferred to 92 Sqn RAF Hornchurch, March 6, 1940. - Allocated and wore individual code letter J, but Sqn codes GR- not worn as they had yet to be applied to the airframe. - Failed to return from Op’s / Shot down and landed on beach, Calais, France, May 24, 1940. - Total flying hours = 32.05 - P/O Peter Cazenove survived and became a prisoner of war (Stalag Luft III, of Great Escape fame). Musee de l'Air, Le Bourget, France, 1981. - Airframe recovered from beach, Calais, France, September 1980. - Airframe stored. Jean Frelaut, Vannes, France, 1996. - Airframe stored. - Parts used in restoration of Seafire Mk.III PP972. Simon Marsh & Thomas Kaplan, Isle of Wight, UK, 2000. - Registered as G-MKIA, Nov. 16, 2000. - Stored, Isle of Wight, UK. - Stored, Essex, UK. Spitfire Partners LLC, March 3, 2005. - Re-registered as G-MKIA - Restoration commenced with Historic Flying Ltd, Duxford. Aug. 2007. - Fuselage constructed at Airframe Assemblies, Isle of Wight. Mark One Partners LLC, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, 2008-2013. - Re-registered as G-MKIA, August 13, 2008. - First engine runs, June 17, 2011. - First taxy trials, July 21, 2011. - First post-restoration flight, with John Romain at the controls, September 9, 2011. - Flies in the exact colours she wore when shot down on May 24, 1940. ‘P9374 / -J’. 2015. Sold to a private buyer for £3.1 million.

..

[Slippa]

On 5/7/2024 at 10:19 AM, Yoda967 said:

That first Battle of Britain airshow in September '18 was mind-blowing...there were 21 Spits in formation, plus a Mk I doing aerobatics at the same time.

Where we were everyone fell silent, like we were all just as overwhelmed by it. The 'fighter balbo' really is something else . I remember being at Biggin decades ago wishing we could see a sqn strength together one day. We're spoilt now, happily. I've lost count how many times I've seen and heard the Merlins and they still give me a buzz. Like qcumber we have them almost every day during the season, they're all over the place and I don't mind a bit .

Nice pics btw Jeff. You'll have to get punting on the Cam as well next time. Best way to see the colleges floating along the backs. Brownie points with the missus too. Bring Gold bullion to pay for parking though.

I've sat in two Spits. One when my Gran took me as a kid and they sat me in it on account of my Grandad (RAF retired) and the other, a MkIX 'Spirit of Kent', cost me a tenner. He let me mess with the stick and rudder, I closed the canopy and told him he'd never get me out of there .

Bit of weird Spitfire trivia: My Great-Grandad's buried in the same churchyard as RJ Mitchell, a stonesthrow from the airfield. A lot of my mums side of the family lived all around the airfield, a lot of them trained, worked, or had their whole life there until retirement. My godfather was 14 when they were testing K5054 and lived a five minute walk away. He had spells working with Vickers and SaRoe, trained at Eastliegh and Daedelus with the FAA and when he came home from fitting Swordfish and the Arctic convoys he spent the rest of his working life back on the airfield.

Most people around Hampshire have or have had a connection with the Spitfire, similar stories of working with them in some way. It's part of the culture. It's partly why they give me the buzz they do. More so after meeting a lot of veterans over the years that operated and loved them too. I've spammed and gone off on a tangent I know. Apologies.

TLDR: They can't take the Spitfires Mitch, they can't take em.

Duxford is magical.