Originally Posted by
alfred_the_great
well, then perhaps the military obvious answer is there shouldn’t be any civilians flying former military aircraft?
out of curiosity, who certified the spitfires flown by civvies? What’s the safety case?
Spitfires aren't certified either. They are all (except the BBMF I think) operated under a Permit to Fly. Loads of aircraft operate in the UK without any formal airworthiness certification, as such. A Permit to Fly isn't carte blanche to avoid all safety regulation. Just means there is no formal certificate of airworthiness for the type. Examples of types without certification are all ex-military types, microlights, home built aircraft, flying replicas, paramotors, balloons, some gliders, and probably a few others.