Two seater Spits.
Tim Mills,
I don't think we're really too far apart on this, Tim. While I readily ackowledge that the 9(T) is very useful for publicity and film purposes, and has given opprtunities to many pilots who could otherwise never have flown in a Spit, it overlooks the basic question.
Is it necessary as a trainer aircraft ? I think not. Any pilot who has gone through basic military flying school should be able to climb in and take it away, as thousands have done before.
Indeed, there was once a popular "thought experiment": If you gave a chap (say) 150 hours in a Tiger Moth, and a month's hard ground school with the Pilot's Notes for a "simple" Spit (Mk. I or II), could he fly it ? I think, very probably, yes (after all, it floats much like a big Tiger on landing).
Come in and interrupt all you like (the water's fine !)
Cheers, Danny.