Not something you get to do every day! 

Quite surprised how unenthusiastic you sounded and not at all excited. I would have asked for more hands on time, as it is a once in a life time experience that you should never forget. I flew in a Spitfire in 1987 and have never forgotten it. I knew it was the only time it would happen, so had planned beforehand, not to just hold the stick straight but to really wing it around. We did some aero’s and he talked me through doing some myself. The whole sound, smell, aura and nostalgia is what makes the experience.

Thoroughly enjoyed that - thanks for taking us along! ....high time I dropped in to Lee again....

O, you Brits, so calm, so reserved. Great flight & vid....

The moment that that spitfire turns on is so awesome. So cool. Really awesome video!

I did this from Biggin back in 2016 , my pilot was an ex Fleet Air Arm Sea Harrier pilot who had also flown the Fairey Firefly and Sea Fury with the RNHF . It was an unforgettable experience!

I really liked your honesty - and frankly, your humility - here. Brave things to say and admit. As for the Spitfire flight, iconic as the aircraft is, those two-seater versions look weird to me and not very Spitfire-ish. Joyriding around at maybe 30% of their top speed (at best) with the odd gentle barrel-roll thrown in simply adds to the feeling of, well, inauthenticity? Having just flown my shared Cessna 182 to the Sahara and back last September (double feature in Pilot mag coming up later this year) I'd rather spend the money on a foreign trip like that than half an hour in this modified Spit. But of course this was a very generous gift in your case and I get that too.

Oh wow what a beautiful bird and how lucky to get a ride in her, it looked amazing and a once in a lifetime experience.

What a lucky chap you are, I envy you. I'm not a pilot but have flown Microsoft Flight Simulators for many years. My wife and our youngest son bought me an appreciation flight for my birthday once. It was an hour long flight from our local airport, Withy Bush, Haverfordwest. While chatting to the pilot I mentioned my love of flight simulation, Well you had better have a go at flying this plane he said, a Cessna 172. He allowed me to fly for around half an hour. He gave me instructions on where to go. When we got to within say 10 miles of Haverfordwest, he took over and landed the plane. What a lovely birthday present was. Love your vlogs, look forward to them every week. Thank You. Dave M.

I would have been cock-a-hoop! What a magical thing to have done. I hope your memories of it come back without the concerns you had on the day, it would be a shame if not. That's a history-changing, world famous piece of machinery that most of us pilots would give our right arm to have a go in. Thanks for the video and thank you to the Spitfire owners for taking you up!

Awesome! But I'm also kinda sad to see the beautiful shape of the Spitfire butchered with that hump of a second canopy. A bit of an abomination, really. Also: I just looked up the price for that flight and ... damn! That's a gift!

You looked quite frazzled at the end of the flight I thought.. I suspect it was a much more overwhelming experience that you were able to articulate at the time. Great video, thank you.

I'm doing my PPL training at EGHF currently. Shame i didn't get to meet you but I'm happy for you that you got an amazing ride in the Spitfire.

You have more jam than Hartleys Jon! As you say, a very kind gift, but you obviously impressed your customer! Doing the Spitfire trip is one of my bucket list items & I'm hoping to achieve it this summer/autumn if I can. Also a nice thing to see Daedalus airport, as that's another place I'd like to visit.

Thank-you Jon for sharing the Spitfire video with us, and your modest approach; it is astonishing that some people are never happy with what they have (been offered) and always want more. As pilots we should always remain modest and humble.

When you are ready to buy the house you love, you are looking for nothing but potential problems. The houses you are not interested in, are all wonderful. So in this case, I can see you, Jon, really really love the flight in the Spitfire, it’s an experience that has changed your outlook on aviation, but as a perfectionist, you do not want to approach this in the wrong way. You are ovewhelmed and overthinking, but I have no doubt, you will come back to it many times, in your head or later in life.

Wow what an opportunity!!!! I must admit I did laugh at your “slow flight” which was still faster than my usual cruise speed 😂

Love your clarity and humility

Thanks for sharing Jon 😊

Hi Jon, As you self-noted, you didn't look or sound especially excited to be the Spit, and although you mused on a few factors, I suspect it was just one of those days we all have sometimes where our mojo slips down a notch or two, or possibly the fumes dampened your enthusiasm? It also wasn't clear where you flew from (Biggin or Solent?) - but I guess it was Solent given the Arrow content in the clip. In 2022 I came over from Australia to fly in a Mk IX Spitfire from Goodwood. It was truly a highlight of my flying experience. Because I hold an ICAO endorsed PPL, the instructor re-labelled the flight as a TIF and I logged 1 hour dual, taking the controls just after take-off, and periodically during the flight to practice aeros. (No landings for obvious reasons.) As others have said, the mighty roar of the Merlin, and sheer sensitivity and maneuverability are beyond compare. I do agree that I should have done more prep and/or asked for a longer pre-flight briefing - I was totally behind the machine the whole time. After landing I remembered all the things I wanted to ask about and try - but 'wasted' much of the time flying it like a Cessna driver! Ah well, we now have bragging rights at the club bar...

Amazing

Enjoyed that! What a beautiful flight. Thanks

Spot on Thank Youu

Amazing!

Hello Jon. Greetings from west of Ireland. Sadly had my first flight of the year scrubbed today due to fog in the midlands. Happy new year and happy Landings

Jon, great little video. I've flown a little of the south coast having been previously based at Old Sarum and Popham. So great to see a smooth early flight over to Lee. I think the skimming light clouds really emphasises being airborne and the speed of flight. Well captured there. As for the Spitfire flight, I know the feeling of imposter syndrome, sometimes even when you have worked for it, you may not feel worthy. I've flown a few unusual types on experiences (often gifts too!) on open cockpit gyrocopter, Tiger Moth and a certain blue and yellow Harvard.... All well worth the experience, but not easy to discuss, especially at the time or immediately afterwards. Sometimes you need processing time to really appreciate the experience. It's similar to initial flight training, sometimes you are just soaking it all in.

"A picture on The Piano David Celeste " ps lovely to hear Uk accents and comprehensible ATC compared to yankee ATCs and to fly N of Brighton where I lived and did most of my flying from SHM lovely stuff!

Nice video, hug from Portugal

4:35 for the best bit ;) Lovely video highlinging not just the the channel or the amazing experience but also the great gift!

9:12 Nice view of Folkestone. I'm pleased you got to experience this iconic flight, loved the video.

Legendary! My face just turned green with envy

Great video Jon. :)

Fantastic thank-you still saving for my spit flight on my bucket list

Wonderful to see the spitfire, my wife bought me a flight last year. Do know that unworthy feeling, still love it though and was grinning for months! As for low and slow, hence the reason I fly a SSDR microlight… loads of fun, best bang for your buck and most of all great community

An amazing experience of which I am very jealous, but what a shame that it didnt seem to be a winner for you. Still, not every experience is for everyone! Good of you to share the flight nonetheless.

As a Chipmunk and Yak52 pilot who loves aeros, flying is all about the 3-dimensional freedom for me, and about 'interesting' aeroplanes preferably with a tailwheel. I'd have wanted more 'hands on' if I was in that Spitfire! I don't suppose they'd let me do the T/O or landing but I'd certainly want to do some aeros myself.

The most British thing for an aviator!

Remember all those who left Biggin, said a departing prayer and did not return that day....we shall always remember them

Wish one of my old clients had given me a £6k gift like that! They were more likely to chip the invoice down by that much tbh. Nice experience.

I would absolutely love to get the opportunity to go flying in a spitfire, but that said I'd love to go flying in a light aircraft like you fly as well, I love being up in the air. Only flying I've been able to afford to do is hang gliding and then convert to powered hang gliding, still foot launched, I haven't done this now for around 15 years, although I still have all my kit. I really hope one day I will get the opportunity to fly again, but for now it's vr flight simulation and RU-vid videos of flying. Thanks for sharing

What is interesting to see is that you have moved up to a more professional pilot level and a bit less of a hobby pilot. You are also running a flying business which is great! Well done! It also means that some of the early ppl fun is replaced by a different attitude. And that makes a more observant attitude sitting in with a highly commercial Spitfire operation in my view very understandable. Perhaps a bit less so for some given the reputation this aircraft has although the Hurricane was the real winner.

I know about that aircraft many thanks

Of all the amazing vids you've made Jon, when I realised you'd flown in a Spitfire I was really looking forward to this one... as it's at the top of my to-do list!! 🤷🏼‍♂ Another great watch! 👌🏻

And can you tell me the registration? One of the two seater Spitfires is a Mk IX two-seater ex Irish Air Corp.

The cut at 4:17 , ah yes the little known 6-seat spitfire

Nice one sir i know the price and you earned that. do not put yourself down as that then starts the grey cells thinking on every job you do crack on

Seems like that experience was a bit wasted on you.

How loud is it

I feel let down John. You seemed fairly ungrateful for the amazing opportunity giving to you. I would dearly love to fly in a Spitfire. At the age of 48 I am living on borrowed time due to a medical issue and this is one of my bucket list items that I know is most likely never going to get ticked off.

Who's a lucky boy then - LOL

John, you are a sensitive soul. You should really care less about what people think of you. I see these Spitfires go up with passengers every week and I never think “they must be rich”. Just enjoy your flying, and don’t worry about what people think.

Sorry to be "that guy" but I think the manoeuvre you showed was an aileron roll, not a barrel roll. Happy to be corrected!

A 10% tip?

What a strange video