My first ever encounter with a Spitfire was probably with MH434 at a Great Warbirds Air Display, West Malling in the mid eighties. Though one of my most treasured moments with a Spitfire was back in 1997/8 when with the RAF CCF i spent a day marshelling at the Old Hay airshow. At the beginning of the day, early in the morning, my friend Tom, my father (volunteer taxi and helper for the day) and myself were approached by Guy Black (HAC) who needed a hand rolling out his new Spitfire from the hanger to take part in the air display. This of course was Spitfire Mk.Vb BM597 now based at Duxford. I believe it was one of its early public displays, if not it’s first. We rolled it backwards out of the tiny hanger by the wing leading edge with relative ease and parked it up where later in the day it would be joined by Rob Davies’ Mustang (Big Beautiful Doll), a Lysander (i forget which one) and a Hurricane (I think it was Mk.XII Z7381 now also with HAC).
It was a superb day, and i’m sure i could write an essay on it, but i won’t bore you with that just yet!
I did get to fly with Charlie Brown in a Stearman at the end though…… 😀 😀 😀
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