Mail Online

Agreed. :rolleyes:

Seconded.
The author of the article is a PPL, low-time or not, and he can put the time in his logbook. Does that mean someone will let him jump into their Spit’ and fly it..? Of course not, but he has certainly ‘flown’ one, and it’s a bit meanspirited to suggest otherwise. Of course, any pilot, and a good many others besides would love to fly a Spit’, even if it’s ‘only’ from the back of a two-seater – which is about as close as 99.999r% of the population will get, whether pilot or not.
My only criticism of the article was that he referred to the P1 as the ‘Co-Pilot’. Actually, he was the Pilot, and the journalist was PUS, or whatever the Euro-bufoons at EASA calls it now.
Whether it’s just a ride, handling the controls of a new rating, the Spit is still at the top of most folks ‘to do’ list…:diablo:

Most fortunate to get hands on in 520, but wish there had been a horizon to make it more like ‘flying’.

= Tim

To my mind if your in the back of a Spitfire either flying it or just enjoying the view your experiencing an iconic part of aviation history. In another iconic machine -the Concorde I doubt many who flew in it regret not being able to fly it – being in it at Mach 2 was the experience that people wanted -the specifics of whether your the pilot or the person sitting in the back sipping Champagne is immaterial -its all about being there!

A pretty arrogant post, Stepwilk, if I may say so.

Agreed. :rolleyes:

David

I don’t think anyone would disagree with that. I certainly wouldn’t. Although in this context, of course, it was specific to Spitfire ‘flying’ and anyone fortunate enough to experience that (whether piloting, ‘riding’, flying or ‘flying’) would agree that it is, well, somewhat special.

Although I have little doubt that Stepwilk would take the same sniffy ‘anyone can do that’ line, whatever the aircraft!

The thing with this is that its all relative ! Whatever your influences or who your heros are in life very much in my mind determines what experience you find satisfying. I don’t think there is a flying experience that eclipses another -so whether its low level in a Stearman – flying between tree breaks in an Auster or aerobatics in a SF-260 its all fun .

A pretty arrogant post, Stepwilk, if I may say so.

I think you will find that some of those responding to you are very far from non-pilots. And unless I misread the article, the journalist concerned is a pilot, too.

The nonpilots among you don’t get it, but I’m not surprised.

Going for a ride in a Spitfire is always fun, and it’s fun to manipulate the controls at altitude, but all I’m saying is that there’s a world of difference between “I went flying in a Spitfire” and “I flew a Spitfire.”

No need to follow me through on the takeoffs and landings, I’ve flown warbirds.

Andy

You’ve flown a Spitfire…you may not be a fully fledged Spitfire pilot (yet) but without doubt you’ve had the experience of flying one…you know how it sounds, how it responds to your touch, how it smells, how the wings look from the cockpit as they arc through the sky…it doesn’t get any more ‘real’ than that.

Rather than scoffing, I’d invite StepWilk down to Boultbee Flight Academy at Goodwood, strap him into the back of SM520 for half an hour and dare him to suggest that that experience, following through on take off and landing but otherwise doing all of the flying, wasn’t one of the most emotionally intense and satisfying experiences of his flying career.

I’m not paying though:)

Having been fortunate enough to have flown in PV202 and handled the controls through much of the flight I care little whether it was “flying” the thing, or not.

Whether it was ‘piloting’ it or not, I’d wager that the experience far excelled the act of taking off, navigating, flying and landing a spam-can although I am not sure whether Stepwilk has ever “flown” (or flown in) a Spitfire. I kinda think that if he had he would understand a little better those who enthuse about the experience – as did this journalist – and would not be so sneeringly dismissive.

I’m with Dunbar on this, and with his comments.

So the magic of flight hasn’t left you yet:)

10000hrs later (600 tailwheel) one of my best ‘flights’ was as a 10 year old, in the back of a PA28. Didn’t touch the controls, but it was the first time I flew.

Flying is flying, it’s not just about logging takeoffs and landings. Go read some Richard Bach!

I don’t log any time that doesn’t include either a takeoff or a landing. Anybody with a pulse can “fly” if all it means is push/pull up/down whee lookit me bank and turn…

As we used to say, “Yesterday I couldn’t even spell pile-it,now I are one.”

I can take my cat flying and do the same thing. I have often had total nonpilots take the controls in cruise, in a variety of single-and twin-engine airplanes, and talked them through a variety of maneuvers. But it’s hardly “flying.”

What is it then:confused:

I can take my cat flying and do the same thing. I have often had total nonpilots take the controls in cruise, in a variety of single-and twin-engine airplanes, and talked them through a variety of maneuvers. But it’s hardly “flying.”

Great find Anna

Meh………