[Brighton] Spitfire

[OzMike]

I was visiting Arundel Castle when there with family members who live in Selsey.
A Spitfire flew over us and my brother in law commented that it happens all the time.
Perfect timing for my visit though.

 

[Seagull on the Hill]

There is one that does trips over the Channel two or three times most days.
Takes off from Biggin Hill, over Crowborough and Hailsham before flying down the Cuckmere at Alfriston to France.
As others say, you can hear the Merlin engines well before they appear and its a truly wonderful sight and sound.

That one flies over my house on Gun Hill.
A wonderful sight to see.

 

[jakarta]

We live near Biggin Hill. They do trips out every day for a few grand if you have it in Spitfires and Hurricanes.
So we see them on a fairly regular basis. The sound and look still inspires in every way.

A pedant writes...

I have done the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar with a mate (Season Ticket Holder, Ex RAF Nimrod Pilot now as he calls himself a 'bus driver' for Tui on 737's). Lots of Spitfires including 2 two-seaters but their Hurricane is a single seater, there were a few two-seaters converted for the Irish Air Force post-war but I don't think there are any flying now.

A great day out, they do restoration to an amazingly high standard and seem to be able to source spares (including complete Merlin engines still crated up!) from everywhere.


If you do go, which I highly recommend, shell out the extra £40 or so and get to sit in a Mk9 cockpit at the end of the Tour. Take a camera obviously!

 

[Official Old Man]

Make that three

Four, five & six. Back row of East Upper.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Make that three

Plus one here in the West Stand who knew nothing about it until now!

 

[BLOCK F]

As I'm about 4 seconds flying time from Goodwood I see them virtually everyday and I still rush out to see - as my wife just sits ambivalent with eyes rolling.
We get Stearmans, Havards and tiger moths. All wasted on the other half.

:

We see the same as you!
The old Spitfire is so low and loud sometimes, you wonder whether he is chasing or being chased by a 109!

 

[VAL1850]

See it up to six times a day in EB.. Love the sound of the Merlin engine. Airborne every day!!!

 

[zefarelly]

My bro did the Goodwood Spit experience. Mark IX with the two stage supercharged Merlin. Said the rate of climb was insane and if you touched the stick the thing’d just swap sides/ends. The E-type of the skies. Gorgeous & deadly.

I'd hope it flew better than an E type drives! If you'd said Lotus Elan or MArcos I'd have agreed ;-)

 

[zefarelly]

As I'm about 4 seconds flying time from Goodwood I see them virtually everyday and I still rush out to see - as my wife just sits ambivalent with eyes rolling.
We get Stearmans, Havards and tiger moths. All wasted on the other half.

I will always down tool and look/listen. I can't think of an engine that sounds better.

Ray Hannah @ Goodwood.

 

[AstroSloth]

There was also a biplane went over around kick-off time. Must have been an airshow on somewhere nearby. Anybody know?

It was likely for Goodwood revival as that was going on this weekend.

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

Four, five & six. Back row of East Upper.

Oi I'm number four

 

[jakarta]

In the mid 1990's I used to live/work just outside Cambridge not too far from Duxford areodrome where they also have a Spitfire repair facility, my work colleagues were always bemused by my rushing outside to see one go overhead.

Luckily live very close to Goodwood these days so get to see/hear one of Boultbees Fleet of Spits almost every week. Took Mrs Jakarta to St Richards for a scan a couple of weeks ago and we took the scenic (non A27) back roads route home, just as we were approaching Lavant over it came just a couple hundred of feet above us with its wheels down on Finals, it could have been 1940...

 

[Bedsex]

It was likely for Goodwood revival as that was going on this weekend.

The revival isn’t until 16-18 Sep, but as others have mentioned, there’s a spitfire that goes up from Goodwood most days, as well as a Harvard. Expect to see a P51 Mustang up in the skies with the spitfire in a few weeks time.

 

[wunt be druv]

I have been lucky enough to fly a Spitfire, did a trip from Goodwood aerodrome along the coast to Peacehaven and flew over my own house upside down at 200mph before performing 2 victory rolls and a loop the loop as we headed back out over the sea, not a cheap thing to do, £2800, but worth EVERY penny, I got to take the controls too and perform a couple of gentle turns and open the throttle of that gorgeous merlin growling away at the front of the plane, you can really sense the awesome power, it is such a calm,stable,docile aircraft but then as soon as you put the power on it becomes an absolute beast, I was so lucky to live out a boyhood dream and am hooked for life now and have started my Spitfire saving account to do it all again, utterly brilliant, if you love aeroplanes and are thinking of doing it, do it! You will love it!! I was buzzing for weeks afterwards, just bloody fantastic!!

 

[jakarta]

I have been lucky enough to fly a Spitfire, did a trip from Goodwood aerodrome along the coast to Peacehaven and flew over my own house upside down at 200mph before performing 2 victory rolls and a loop the loop as we headed back out over the sea, not a cheap thing to do, £2800, but worth EVERY penny, I got to take the controls too and perform a couple of gentle turns and open the throttle of that gorgeous merlin growling away at the front of the plane, you can really sense the awesome power, it is such a calm,stable,docile aircraft but then as soon as you put the power on it becomes an absolute beast, I was so lucky to live out a boyhood dream and am hooked for life now and have started my Spitfire saving account to do it all again, utterly brilliant, if you love aeroplanes and are thinking of doing it, do it! You will love it!! I was buzzing for weeks afterwards, just bloody fantastic!!

Mrs Jakarta has promised me a Spit Flight before I shuffle off, and I have done two Simulator Sessions with Boultbee, best not dwell on my attempted loop as there is now a big hole in the ground near Littlehampton. ... Obviously need a couple more goes!

By the way the Simulator is superb you take off from Tangmere and can fly around West Sussex, most of the cockpit is genuine Mk9 stuff, once the canopy is closed it feels like the real thing - cost is a lot less than the actual flight but as I have said a few more goes on it may make the big day even better...

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

I have been lucky enough to fly a Spitfire, did a trip from Goodwood aerodrome along the coast to Peacehaven and flew over my own house upside down at 200mph before performing 2 victory rolls and a loop the loop as we headed back out over the sea, not a cheap thing to do, £2800, but worth EVERY penny, I got to take the controls too and perform a couple of gentle turns and open the throttle of that gorgeous merlin growling away at the front of the plane, you can really sense the awesome power, it is such a calm,stable,docile aircraft but then as soon as you put the power on it becomes an absolute beast, I was so lucky to live out a boyhood dream and am hooked for life now and have started my Spitfire saving account to do it all again, utterly brilliant, if you love aeroplanes and are thinking of doing it, do it! You will love it!! I was buzzing for weeks afterwards, just bloody fantastic!!

I done the same out of Lee on Silent.
Well worth every penny flying round the Isle of Wight doing a 360 and then having a go on the controls.

Sent from my CPH2195 using Tapatalk

 

[wunt be druv]

Mrs Jakarta has promised me a Spit Flight before I shuffle off, and I have done two Simulator Sessions with Boultbee, best not dwell on my attempted loop as there is now a big hole in the ground near Littlehampton. ... Obviously need a couple more goes!

By the way the Simulator is superb you take off from Tangmere and can fly around West Sussex, most of the cockpit is genuine Mk9 stuff, once the canopy is closed it feels like the real thing - cost is a lot less than the actual flight but as I have said a few more goes on it may make the big day even better...

I really hope you get to fly the real thing..so so so utterly brilliant experience..keep on at the Mrs. and make sure you go, I would love you to get the buzz I got from doing it. P.M me if you need any info/advice...Good luck!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

My bruv did a Spitfire flight from Biggin Hill for a major birthday a month or two back. Must have cost his missus a pretty penny. But he was still buzzing about it when we met up recently. He was allowed to take the controls for a little while (not sure if that was standard for the package or if his RAF & Air Traffic Control background swung it) He got to follow the Medway estuary coastline past our family (recent) ancestral home. The package included a shadowing flight for friends & family. What an amazing thing to get to do!

 

[Silverhatch]

I'd hope it flew better than an E type drives! If you'd said Lotus Elan or MArcos I'd have agreed ;-)

Looks - not handing. Deffo more Elan in chuck ability stakes.

 

[nicko31]

Cost of living taking its toll

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/busines...flights-risk-soaring-fuel-prices-cost-living/