stickandrudderman
10th Sep 2011, 19:40
The Spitfire experience.
Well, I'm not sure any words of mine can do it justice.
The course is over two long days and is very well organised, with a constant supply of refreshments.
All of the very friendly and enthusiastic staff are highly qualified and experienced but, quite charmingly, display as much enthusiasm as their students. Students are issued with flying overalls, complete with embroidered velcro badge bearing their name. A really nice touch.
There’s lots of classroom stuff giving detailed briefs on each individual a/c and what to expect.
We had bad weather on the first day so we packed all of the classroom stuff and hangar visits into the first day and all of the flying into the second.
It's understood by all that the Spitfire is the main attraction, but in reality all of it is very interesting and presented in just the right balance of professionalism and informality. As one might expect, the CAA have taken an interest and have fully sanctioned the whole programme.
Naturally everyone is very excited about the possibility of flying the Spitfire and that includes all of the staff!
It must be understood that this is a course for pilots to fly the spitfire, it is not just a "buy a bar of chocolate for £3000 and we'll throw in a jolly" arrangement. Once you get up in the air it is exactly like any other instructor/student flight but very much tailored to the individual's requirements. The only limits are no flick rolls and g limits to +4/-0. Other than that you are free to fully explore the envelope.
Now then, the sense of anticipation amongst all of the students is palpable......
Just walking up to the aeroplane gives a sensational stirring from within, but strapping yourself in and watching the flames lick from the exhaust stubs barely a few feet in front of you is just amazing. The sound of that fabulous V12 Merlin bursting into life is superb and then the noise and smell as you taxi is enough on it's own to moisten the eye. I’m fully aware that carbon monoxide is poisonous, but if any smell is going to kill me, let it be this one!
The view from the rear cockpit is surprisingly good once you’re off the ground but during taxiing the view forward from both seats is terrible, so very careful weaving is essential!
Lining up on the runway and then feeling the enormous surge of power on take off is like nothing else I've ever experienced and pretty much as soon as the gear is up you here the immortal words: “You have control”!!!!!
Everyone has heard that the Spitfire is a delight to fly but believe me, you are not prepared in the slightest for just how symbiotic she feels. She really does become an extension of your soul. You are suddenly liberated from all normal constraints and restrictions. You simply think your way around the sky! The controls are so well harmonised that absolutely no effort is required to execute the manoeuvre of your choice, save for some anti-g muscle clenching. Everything just feels natural. Normally during “unusual attitudes” one gets a sense of fear. “Is this aeroplane going to do what I want it to do?” The Spitfire is different. She instils in her pilot supreme confidence, like a faithfull servant for whom nothing is too much trouble. Even the stall is extremely benign, whilst during aeros she flatters even the most ham-fisted of pilots.
In the UK she’s subjected to height limitations and so the second stage of the supercharger is redundant (it’s connected to a device that engages it above a certain altitude) which means that she’s producing nothing like the HP that she would in wartime. In any event, her custodians are keen not to over extend her and so have self-imposed very sensible engine operation limits, but despite this one never gets the feeling of needing more power to dig oneself out of a poorly flown manoeuvre.
Perhaps the most stimulating sensation of all though is the view over that gorgeous elliptical wing with the English countryside as a backdrop. One cannot help but feel enormous pride, gratitude and perhaps even a macabre sense of envy, for those that designed, built, maintained, flew and died in such an icon in that terrible period in history.
Lastly, it must be said that enormous praise should be heaped on the Boultbee Flight Academy. As a business owner myself I am sure that there is more, much more than just the bottom line behind the thinking. If there wasn’t then it simply wouldn’t happen. A beautiful, iconic machine is kept in flying condition, pilots of a younger generation can get to fly her and a worthwhile charity gets to benefit.
Other successful business owners would do well to follow the example.
Well, I'm not sure any words of mine can do it justice.
The course is over two long days and is very well organised, with a constant supply of refreshments.
All of the very friendly and enthusiastic staff are highly qualified and experienced but, quite charmingly, display as much enthusiasm as their students. Students are issued with flying overalls, complete with embroidered velcro badge bearing their name. A really nice touch.
There’s lots of classroom stuff giving detailed briefs on each individual a/c and what to expect.
We had bad weather on the first day so we packed all of the classroom stuff and hangar visits into the first day and all of the flying into the second.
It's understood by all that the Spitfire is the main attraction, but in reality all of it is very interesting and presented in just the right balance of professionalism and informality. As one might expect, the CAA have taken an interest and have fully sanctioned the whole programme.
Naturally everyone is very excited about the possibility of flying the Spitfire and that includes all of the staff!
It must be understood that this is a course for pilots to fly the spitfire, it is not just a "buy a bar of chocolate for £3000 and we'll throw in a jolly" arrangement. Once you get up in the air it is exactly like any other instructor/student flight but very much tailored to the individual's requirements. The only limits are no flick rolls and g limits to +4/-0. Other than that you are free to fully explore the envelope.
Now then, the sense of anticipation amongst all of the students is palpable......
Just walking up to the aeroplane gives a sensational stirring from within, but strapping yourself in and watching the flames lick from the exhaust stubs barely a few feet in front of you is just amazing. The sound of that fabulous V12 Merlin bursting into life is superb and then the noise and smell as you taxi is enough on it's own to moisten the eye. I’m fully aware that carbon monoxide is poisonous, but if any smell is going to kill me, let it be this one!
The view from the rear cockpit is surprisingly good once you’re off the ground but during taxiing the view forward from both seats is terrible, so very careful weaving is essential!
Lining up on the runway and then feeling the enormous surge of power on take off is like nothing else I've ever experienced and pretty much as soon as the gear is up you here the immortal words: “You have control”!!!!!
Everyone has heard that the Spitfire is a delight to fly but believe me, you are not prepared in the slightest for just how symbiotic she feels. She really does become an extension of your soul. You are suddenly liberated from all normal constraints and restrictions. You simply think your way around the sky! The controls are so well harmonised that absolutely no effort is required to execute the manoeuvre of your choice, save for some anti-g muscle clenching. Everything just feels natural. Normally during “unusual attitudes” one gets a sense of fear. “Is this aeroplane going to do what I want it to do?” The Spitfire is different. She instils in her pilot supreme confidence, like a faithfull servant for whom nothing is too much trouble. Even the stall is extremely benign, whilst during aeros she flatters even the most ham-fisted of pilots.
In the UK she’s subjected to height limitations and so the second stage of the supercharger is redundant (it’s connected to a device that engages it above a certain altitude) which means that she’s producing nothing like the HP that she would in wartime. In any event, her custodians are keen not to over extend her and so have self-imposed very sensible engine operation limits, but despite this one never gets the feeling of needing more power to dig oneself out of a poorly flown manoeuvre.
Perhaps the most stimulating sensation of all though is the view over that gorgeous elliptical wing with the English countryside as a backdrop. One cannot help but feel enormous pride, gratitude and perhaps even a macabre sense of envy, for those that designed, built, maintained, flew and died in such an icon in that terrible period in history.
Lastly, it must be said that enormous praise should be heaped on the Boultbee Flight Academy. As a business owner myself I am sure that there is more, much more than just the bottom line behind the thinking. If there wasn’t then it simply wouldn’t happen. A beautiful, iconic machine is kept in flying condition, pilots of a younger generation can get to fly her and a worthwhile charity gets to benefit.
Other successful business owners would do well to follow the example.