View Full Version : A pair of Spitfires
On Wednesday May 25th, sometime between 10AM and 11AM I saw a pair of Spitfires flying in formation fairly low not far from Leeds Castle near Maidstone. I am assuming they were either outbound or inbound Headcorn. Anyone have any knowledge about their actual identity?
treadigraph
10th Jun 2022, 09:21
Regrettably I don't have subscription so can't see back that far on the sites I use. Couldd be the Headcorn aircraft or the ones out of Biggin - I think the single seaters do occasionally do trips with the two seaters as part of an enhanced (ie more readies!) experience for discerning punters!
Cheers. I checked but nothing showing on FR24,
Lantern10
12th Jun 2022, 01:37
Wonder if they were the same pair that circled the Pink Floyd concert on 5 July 1975 at Knebworth House.
treadigraph
12th Jun 2022, 06:54
Not impossible Lantern - pretty sure the Pink Floyd pair would have been Pat Lindsay's MkV AR213 and Adrian Swire's MkIX MH434, both of which were based at Booker at the time (Neil Williams and Pete Thorne both flew them regularly and I think the late PPRuNe Pop told me he was given the opportunity to fly AR213 when he was part of the Leisure Sport team) and as far as I know both now live at Duxford. But the ones FUMR saw are likely to have been drawn from the various Kent-based aircraft which are very active most days.
Just trying to remember, other airworthy Spits in 1975; apart from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's four aircraft, there was the Rolls Royce MkXIV, Shuttleworth's MkV which was flying by then, John Fairey's two-seater and Doug Arnold had a MkXVI. Can't think of any others... How many in the UK now, 40 perhaps...?
Edit: John Terrell's list on Warbird Information Exchange has it at 41 in the UK out of 71 airworthy worldwide - plus another six which haven't flown for some time.