How To Become A BBMF Pilot?

Thank you to all that replied!

I know Al Pinner has been involved in flying Hurricane R4118 on occasions, and I believe maybe some of the 2-seat Spitfire experience flights

Al Pinner was my pilot when I went up in MJ627 – top chap!!!

I’m ex BBMF and know that some try to break into the civilian warbird scene, but the frequency that civilian warbirds are operated is somewhat shorter than the BBMF fleet. Ally that with the fact that civilian warbirds tend to have quite a heavy saturation of willing volunteers, makes becoming a new boy all the more tricky.

This is pretty much what all the ex BBMF fighter pilots have told me following their retirement from the military.

Paul Day did do rather well in continuing his flying hours in MJ, but that was because he had exclusive use of that aircraft. He hung up his boots to pursue life at a more sedate pace aboard his tractor!

I seem to remember a Conningsby fast jet pilot saying on a TV programme some years back, that he was given the
option of being a Tornado or Spitfire display pilot for that year. He chose the Spitfire.

As regards ex-BBMF pilots flying Civilian warbirds, I expect the attraction can diminish when you are no longer being
paid an officer’s salary ?

The ‘fighter’ pilots will come from the resident FJ squadrons at Coningsby or occasionally and unusually Cranwell if they are on a QFI tour. The bomber crews (Pilot/Flight Eng) will come from multi engines, so Waddington, Cranwell and Brize. The Navs (WSO) are usually from Tornado, are desk bound or train rear crews at Cranwell. Rear Dakota WSOp’s were from the rotary world at one point.
There are a few ex-BBMF guys flying warbirds, but not that many. Most don’t do it after leaving BBMF because they have careers to go to. All would love to do it again. 🙂

Don’t some ex lanc pilots “pilot” just Jane

After retiring from the service, one would then be in a good position to fly for private operators.

And yet, there’s seems to be remarkably few who actually do so.

When you think that the RAF have trained a half a dozen or more pilots per year to fly warbirds, you’d think the UK civvie warbird movement would be awash with ex-BBMF pilots, but Cliff Spink seems to be the only one that has really entered the civvie warbird circus with gusto, although IIRC, John Allison did fly some civvie warbirds back in the day, even while still serving post BBMF at higher rank.
I was expecting Paul Day once he left to be seen in just about every flying Spit around, but other than flying 2-seater MJ627 prior to being sold 4-5 years ago, so I assume he’s now retired from flying?
I know Al Pinner has been involved in flying Hurricane R4118 on occasions, and I believe maybe some of the 2-seat Spitfire experience flights, along with Parky Parkinson, but when you think BBMF have probably been responsible for training over a 100 pilots to fly Spits/Hurri’s in the past 20-25 years there must be more than that handful that have flown civvie warbirds?

Plenty of evidence of Seb Davey’s day job on his Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/Seb_Lanc99 And some nice photos too.

I think Seb Davy one of the lanc/dakota piltos is based out of Bride Norton?
And Andy Preece is down the road at Cranwell

After retiring from the service, one would then be in a good position to fly for private operators.

Andy

And possibly a Qualified Flying Instructor…?

I think that used to be the case, when pilots were drawn from the resident OCU unit……not sure about these days in a rapidly shrinking RAF?

I suspect all the pilots for the fighters are all based at Coningsby flying the Typhoon with the OCU, or any of the 2nd tour flight commanders of the other resident Sqdns?

I suspect DC-3/Lanc flight crews will be from Waddington?

And possibly a Qualified Flying Instructor…?

That’s for the fighters. The Dc3 and Lancaster you need heavy multi engine experience.

Off the top of my head I believe that you have to have a certain amount of hours in Fast Jet and at least one operational tour under your belt to qualify.