Thanks to The Blades Aerobatic Display Team, we can now offer a friend or family member the opportunity to fly alongside as you take your Spitfire Flight. The author follows the careers of a group (fewer than 25?) Spitfire pilots AND mechanics, men AND women, Americans, Aussies, Kiwis, Canadians,; Polish and Indian pilots have brief parts, as does one bomber pilot from Jamaica. In the telling he covers the entire war in which Spits saw action, including Malta, Africa, Italy, Burma and the Soviet Union, and the stories include training, scrambles and dog fights, bail outs, captures, the sudden death of comrades, romances, escapes with the French resistance, and, in one unforgettable tale, an RAF mechanic stealing(!) a Spit to make his first flight ever which is purposely INTO(!) a battle zone. As I approached the end of the book I thought this was a solid treatment of the view of the war from the pilots, and was prepared to be let down by the winding down of the war. But the ending was surprising and not what I expected. Instead of heroic welcomes or happy ever afters, the epilogue describes PSTD, divorces, depression and accidental deaths, but it is surprisingly uplifting rather than melancholic. If you're not sure whether to go for this option when you book your flight you can always wait until the day of your flight.. You will then be able to try a 360 video before you fly and make your decision then.

Spitfire: A Very British Love Story by John Nichol | Goodreads

As the RAF marks its centenary, Nichol has created a thrilling and often moving tribute to some of its greatest heroes.' Jon Dennis, Mail on Sunday magazine. As a member of the post Second World War generation who grew up on Biggles and the accounts of the battle of Britain, the Supermarine Spitfire has always been a thing of beauty for me. As the aircraft that saved Britain from being overrun in 1940, as the most beautiful of aeroplanes in all its variants, it is quintessentially British. The author could have focused just on the pilot's stories, or how the Spitfire handled itself in battle, however, by choosing to add in some historical facts about WW2 at the same time, I feel as though I have travelled through time, learning more about those 6 years we were at war in a way I wasn’t taught or have read about previously. The way he covers people on the ground too really adds to the depth of what you are reading.Ideally situated for easy access from London and the surrounding area, London Oxford Airport offers a fantastic departure point for your Spitfire experience.

The Aerodynamics of the Spitfire - Royal Aeronautical Society The Aerodynamics of the Spitfire - Royal Aeronautical Society

The Spitfires fame is due in no small part to a brilliant PR campaign by Lord Beaverbrook. He instigated the "Spitfire Fund" in 1940, it was this campaign which drew widespread public attention to the Spitfire. Amongst the people of Britain the Spitfire became a national symbol of defiance as well as a tool for retribution. it is an icon, probably the most famous aircraft ever made. When Goering asked the distinguished German ace, Adolf Galland in October 1940 what was require beat the RAF, he replied ‘A squadron of Spitfires,’ From its first flight in 1936, through the war and to today’s airshows, it is still loved by both fliers and spectators alike. A really interesting look into the history and use of the Spitfire, one of the most renowned planes from the Second World War. Of course you can't just write a story of the plane, so the heart of this book are the short vignettes of the pilots and (a few) groundcrew who lived and worked with the plane through the war. Key Publishing Limited, Units 1-4, Gwash Way Industrial Estate, Ryhall Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XP, UKI would have given, wanted to give, 5 stars, however, the inclusion of the sentence regarding the stray dog stopped me. Whilst pertinent to the character of the individual, I felt it could have been omitted hence why not the full 5. We are introduced to the Spitfire, of course as a fighter, but also in ground support, as a fighter bomber, as a reconnaissance aircraft, and even, in a lighter moment towards the end of the war, as a beer tanker, with barrels fitted to the bomb carriers beneath its wings. Nichol doesn’t spend much time pondering his own question. Instead the book provides a history of the Spitfire, primarily through first-hand accounts from those who flew it during WW2. In Britain today the Spitfire is very much associated with the Battle of Britain, but Nichol’s book takes us through the subsequent campaigns in Malta, North Africa, Italy, France etc. There’s also a short section about the use of Spitfires in the Burma campaign, and another interesting one about the work of the mainly female pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary, who flew planes from the factories where they were manufactured to their operational airfields.

Spitfire Books | Imperial War Museums Spitfire Books | Imperial War Museums

All of our two seat aircraft are now fitted with 360 ° GoPro cameras, capable of capturing mind-blowing footage of your experience! The enthusiastic spirit and invention of a creative community like this courses through every instrument giving you, the music maker, access to one of the rarest collections of music tools. Pristine? Not always. In tune? Well that is definitely optional. But full of life and originality? 100% of the time. A name etched into history thanks to the heroic actions of 'The Few' young pilots holding off the numerically superior Luftwaffe during the height of the Battle of Britain in the early days of WWII.It didn’t take long to fall in love with the Spitfire. Pilots, mechanics, land girls, civvies – they all fell under her spell.’ At Ultimate Warbird Flights, we strive to make your Spitfire Flight a truly unforgettable experience. If you want to buy DVDs in bulk please send a message and we will try to accomodate you. Screenings The Spitfire was a thing of beauty to behold, in the air or on the ground, with graceful lines of its slim fuselage it elliptical wing and tail plane. It look like a fighter and it certainly proved to be just that in the fullest meaning of the term. It was a aircraft with a personality of its own-docile at times, swift and deadly at others-a fighting machine par excellence."(p.376)

What is this all about then? – Pianobook What is this all about then? – Pianobook

The truth. Humanities history. It is always grim and deadly. This case is no different. Although this book focuses on the dim past, it still can manage to bring a smile to your face. It reads like a fabulously well-written novel, although it is far more than that. The book takes you beyond the deadly dogfights over Kent and Sussex. It takes you around the world with one of the most incredible planes ever made. The author of this book, John Nichol, gained an unwelcome bout of fame during the 1991 Gulf War when a surface-to-air missile shot down the Tornado aircraft where he was the navigator. He was captured and paraded on Iraqi TV. His experiences lend him credibility when writing about military aircraft and probably also when he interviewed the veterans whose experiences are recorded in this book. The ending ends on a note of respect given to the magnificent plane, "...if God said that I could have just one more flight, my last flight before I die, in any aircraft I have ever flown, I would choose to get airborne in a Spitfire.' The book was published in 2018 and is a compilation of stories about the experience in WWII. The stories focus on the heartbreaking tales of those who had to serve and sometimes give up their life for us to be here today. It intrigued me that the Air Transport Auxiliary had both women and men pilots. Women fought for and received equal pay with the male pilots – most likely the first instance in the 20th Century where equal pay at work occurred between women and men. Wonderful book for a beautiful plane. I did not know it went through so many upgrades and changes as the Luftwaffe planes improved. I did not recall the long fights for Malta, or the disaster at Dieppe.In this book John Nichol is unlike any other book I have read on this airplane. This is not a book for people who want facts, figures and technicalities or strategy. This is about the pilots and mechanics who flew and maintained the Spitfire during WWII. It's their passion for the planes they were flying which makes this such a great read. Many of those interviewed for this book have now left us, and without their experiences would have been lost to posterity. John Nichol's book is not merely a book it is a tribute to the people who flew them. Boasting fantastic Art Deco styled facilities for you and your guests, Sywell is an excellent venue for your unforgettable Spitfire experience. Nevertheless, no matter how good the book may seem, it has some negatives. The stories are from first-hand accounts from those who flew it during WWII, which means that the book instead provides a primitive history of the spitfire instead of diving too deeply into it. However, unlike many similarly formatted books, this one gives accounts of people outside of England and through the subsequent campaigns in Malta, North Africa, Italy, France etc. This makes it stand out from nearly every other one of these books. A superb and compelling book. Brilliantly written with some incredible and astonishing stories; it is gripping, moving, emotional and sometimes humorous – just perfect' Squadron Leader (Ret) Clive Rowley, former Officer Commanding RAF Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight