BofB 18th August Flypast - Did It Happen?
 

There has been some publicity around Hampshire and Sussex about a large number of WW2 fighters getting airborne from Biggin today, to mark the peak of the Battle of Britain. One group (not 1Gp!) were said to be heading for the Isle of Wight by 1330 (presumably local) and then on to Portsmouth and eventually Dunsfold.

Unfortunately, the only information available was press snippets; no NOTAM, apart from a closure of Biggin's airspace around lunchtime. So I can't be sure the info was accurate. What I do know is that many hundreds of people were lining the South Downs this afternoon and gazing hopefully towards the Isle of Wight. By 1445 most had drifted away, disappointed. (Though I did see a single aircraft overfly IOW on a SW heading at about 2,500 ft sometime after 1430, and it could have been a Spitfire).

Whenever an expected aircraft doesn't arrive I always get a cold shiver. Does anyone know if this event did actually take place?

Go to Military Aviation forum...

Yes, it really did happen. BBC News covered it as well.

Glad to know it really happened - but although there was indeed a few seconds of grainy (telephoto) footage on 'South Today', the aircraft had not been visible from the hills above Portsmouth.


So for us it was a non-event; pity. I envy the people who live close enough to Biggin to have seen the magnificent sight.