spitfire pictures

[topkit]

As hopefully we all know it is the 75th anniversary of the Battle Of Britain and it is important that we remember the Few that often gave everything to stop the the Luftwaffe from making it over the Channel and for me living in Kent where many planes flew out from West Malling, Biggin Hill & Kenley (Surrey) and often these squadrons were outnumbered by huge amounts, My Mother who was growing up during these times witnessed Spitfires and Hurricanes going out over their house in Ightham to fight of the then enemy and she also witnessed many dog fights and several planes being shot down and she still recalls it like it was yesterday which brings it home even more why we should never forget these times.
Today at the Kent County Show we were all treated to the sound of a Merlin engine once again ( i am privileged that i get to see and hear them rather a lot round here and will never grow tired of it) A few pics for you to enjoy.

[Joes1989]

Absolutely brilliant pictures of a mark nine! Serial MK356! I've seen it flying twice in the last three or four weeks and it's an amazing sounding machine! The later Rolls Royce merlin sounds incredible!

I'd just like to thank you for posting these pictures!

These aircraft have over taken my love of earthmoving equipment of late!
I try and get to see them fly every chance I get now!

Sounds sad and a little strange but seeing them fly stirs my soul and makes me forget anything that might be going on in my head!

Would love to be able to work on them or even better fly them! The pilots and ground crew of the BBMF truly are the luckiest people on earth in my eyes!

[Mrsmackpaul]

Yep thanks for taking the pictures and sharing with us all
and Joe I dont think strange I think it makes a lot souls stir seeing and hearing these planes

Paul

[Joes1989]

Back end of last year i had been going through quite a rough time.....was slowly slipping into quite a dark place, ive always had a backseat interest in the Battle of Britain but when i went to Chatsworth Country fair where there was a Spitfire and Hurricane doing a display.....after walking round not really paying attention to anything and not really having much of an interest i was sat by the river waiting for these aircraft to show up......all of a sudden i heard the distinctive engine note of the mark 2a spitfire flying in....i was instantly transported into my own little world and was busy taken pictures of these stunning aircraft in flight!

Ever since that day ive felt better than ive felt in a long time! Something just instantly changed in my mind after seeing and hearing the machines!

Since that day ive been hooked! I really do have a passion for these machines! So much so that diggers have taken a massive step back for me as its all about the planes!

Roll on September 19-20th when im down at Duxford Air Museum (a fantastic day out) for the Battle of Britain 75th anniversary airshow!

Not trying to hijack the thread but one pic i took from the day i refer to as the "Special Day" now

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Enough of my story now ive bored you enough!

Joe

[topkit]

Great picture Joe and these evocotive planes stir many emotion for lots of people me included, As mentioned in my post i am very lucky to see them most weekends one flew across our field today again, my nieghbour restores these planes for a living which is partly why we get so many fly past visits, Another one of my niebhours got involved with the rescue of the remains of a Spitfire nearby and from various things that were recovered he researched and found that the young 22 year old pilot that had died was from Australia or New Zealand (i cant quite remember now) and he as he happened to be travelling to that country he made the special effort and traced the family and actually met them which was very emotional indeed infact we were all chocking back the tears as he told us the amazing story, i could tell you several more that my Granfather was involved in and my mother witnessed these young men were absolute heros and an inspiration for me and many others so remember when you are having a rough time there were many people going through an awfull lot more worse things during 1939-45 as they say 'lest we forget'

[Joes1989]

Oh i understand that people were suffering a hell of a lot more than i was! They just helped me out!

Id absolutely love to get in with some aviation recovery groups! Ive always wanted to help recover one!

I can recomend a very very good book called "Finding the Few" by Andy Saunders about Battle of Britain pilots that were lost and for one reason or another their was no attempt made to recover their bodies during the war! One crashed in 1940 and wasnt recovered until the 1990's!

You have no idea how much i envy you living where you do! Im more than willing to travel to see these great planes in action when the chances arise!

[topkit]

Well like you Joe i could not resist a few more pictures of the Spitfire again and although the cloud was a little low today the Spitfire was stunning and put on a fantastic show i can still hear it's supercharger screaming it was absolutely awesome today.

[Joes1989]

Thats the newly rebuilt Mark 5B of the battle of britain memorial flight! Coded AB910...this is its first season back flying for a couple of years i believe after having an extensive maintainence programme with the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford Air museum.

I saw her taxi back to the hangar a few weeks ago! Great looking Spit.....although i prefer the sound of the later mark 9 you put pics of on here first!

[topkit]

This one was flown much more aggresively today the sound had the hairs on my neck standing up the supercharger screaming was just awsome, Imagine what a whole sqaudron sounded like as the flew out to fight of the invaders,

Joe this may interest you, i have already booked the day off work as i want to take my mother to see the sight and also get her to show me some of the places where she lived and the places where she witnessed planes come down.


Comments (0)
LEGENDARY Spitfires and Hurricanes are set to mass in the skies above Sevenoaks to create the biggest fighter formation seen since the Second World War.

Vintage planes from across Britain will take off from Biggin Hill and fly a series of sorties over southern England.

More than 20 aircraft - including the last four Hurricanes still operational in Britain - are being lined up for the ultimate flypast this summer to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

Organisers at Biggin Hill’s Heritage Hangar have chosen Tuesday, August 18, for the spectacle – the date of The Hardest Day, when dogfighting in Kent’s skies reached its savage peak.

Robin Brooks from the Hangar told the Chronicle the mass formation will break up into three flights after taking off from Biggin Hill.

“The first flight will head down to the Isle of Wight, over the Solent and Portsmouth before returning back to Biggin,” he said.

“The second will fly east over Dover, Hawkinge and the national memorial at Capel-le-Ferne.

“And the third will pass over West Malling, Detling and Gravesend before returning to patrol over Biggin in an act of protecting the airfield while the first two flights return from the Isle of Wight and Dover and land. Once they’re down, the patrolling aircraft will come in - as was the case of Nos 32 and 610 Squadrons in August 1940.”

Robin stressed the event is still in the planning stages and the number of aircraft is yet to be finalised.

The Heritage Hangar - based on the edge of the airfield - rebuilds, maintains and operates vintage warplanes for public and private events.

But, in preparation for the anniversary flight, it has also started the mammoth task of tracing some of the service veterans and civilians who survived the Battle of Britain and the Blitz so that it can invite them to watch the flypast as VIPs at Biggin Hill.

[Joes1989]

That last spit has been flying alot this year as the oldest Spit fire on the BBMF had been a little reluctant to start the season! Its a spitfire id very much like to see fly properly! I caught a very brief glimpse of it just before i saw it taxi back to the hangar!

That sounds like an amazing event! Something id very much like to see! When is it?

I can recommend the Battle of Britain museum at Hawkinge! Went there as a kid and loved it! Theyve just had a replica Boulton Paul Defiant plane built and installed in the museum which id very much like to see!