Biggin Hill – Thursday 18th November 2021 (Grant Robinson)

Hi all,

Like many of you no doubt, my personal life in 2020 was changed considerably once Covid came along. Apart from not going anywhere or seeing family and friends, I also had to change jobs and bin any thoughts of celebrating my 50th birthday as I would have wished.

Apart from saving by not having a massive party, I also had money set aside for the Avalon show where the Australian Air Force was to have celebrated its 100th anniversary – this of course never happened. So with the support of the family, I was determined to celebrate my 51st birthday in style and I fulfilled a childhood dream of flying in a Spitfire.

This was achieved via the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar – https://bigginhillheritagehangar.co.uk/

I had an amazing afternoon surrounded by Spitfires and I was even more grateful as the weather closed in to the point that the flight almost got cancelled. Fortunately I had a determined pilot who was keen to make sure I went home happy. I took control a couple of times, experienced a victory roll and did some air-to air with the wife who was in the camera-ship Airvan. A day I’ll never forget and what better place to do it from than Biggin Hill……..

Photographs taken on the day can be seen at;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/62861611@N08/albums/72177720296354820

I was asked not to publish pictures of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire LF.XVI, or the restoration of Spitfire LF.IXe G-RYIX.

(G-CHTK)/GZ-L, Canadian Car & Foundry Sea Hurricane X (CCF/41H/8020)
3579/20, Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-4, G-CIPB, German (3579)
(G-PBIX)/WZ-RR, Vickers Supermarine Spitfire F.XVIe (CBAF.11581)
(G-DBKL), Vickers Supermarine Spitfire FR.XIVe (fuselage) (6S.432268)
TA805/FX-M, Vickers Supermarine Spitfire HF.IX, G-PMNF, United Kingdom (CBAF.10372)
(G-CLIH), Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Ia (fuselage) (555)
LZ842/EF-F, Vickers Supermarine Spitfire IX, G-CGZU, United Kingdom (CBAF.5056)
ML295/DB-M, Vickers Supermarine Spitfire LF.IX, G-CLXB, United Kingdom (unknown)
PT879, Vickers Supermarine Spitfire LF.IX, G-PTIX, Russian (CBAF.IX.2922)
(LN-AOA), Vickers Supermarine Spitfire LF.IX (fuselage) (6S.223772)
UB441, Vickers Supermarine Spitfire LF.Ixe (fuselage), G-SDNI, Burmese (CBAF.IX.1982)
(G-RYIX), Vickers Supermarine Spitfire LF.Ixe (fuselage) (CBAF.IX.558)
TE311/SZ-G, Vickers Supermarine Spitfire LF.XVI, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Royal Air Force (CBAF.IX.4497)
TE184, Vickers Supermarine Spitfire LF.XVIe, G-MXVI, United Kingdom (CBAF.IX.4394)
MJ627/9G-Q, Vickers Supermarine Spitfire T.IX, G-BMSB, United Kingdom (CBAF.7722)
(G-AWGB)/A58-606/ZP-W, Vickers Supermarine Spitfire T.IX (CBAF.IX.11432)
BS410/PK-A, Vickers Supermarine Spitfire T.IXc, G-TCHI, United Kingdom (6S.200618)
2-DEWS, Eclipse Aviation EA500 (000143)
2-JEZA, Eclipse Aviation EA500 (000031)
2-MUJJ, Eclipse Aviation EA550 (550-0263)
2-WEBS, Eclipse Aviation EA500 (000033)
9H-WIT, Pilatus PC-XII 47E (1906)
CS-CHA, Bombardier Challenger 350 (20544)
CS-CHH, Bombardier Challenger 350 (20727)
CS-LAS, Textron Aviation Citation Latitude (680A0015)
CS-PHO, Embraer Phenom 300 (50500533)
D-ABEY, Bombardier Challenger 605 (5863)
D-AVBA, Bombardier Global 5000 (9516)
D-CSCB, Cessna Citation XLS+ (560-6187)
D-EURS, Piper PA-46 310P Malibu (4608093)
D-ISIR, Cessna Citation CJ1+ (525-0690)
D-ISLT, Cessna Citation CJ2+ (525A0427)
F-HIFR, Piper PA-28 161 Warrior II (28-8116036)
G-BIJW, Reims/Cessna F152 (1820)
G-BOTI, Piper PA-28 151 Cherokee Warrior (28-7515251)
G-BSFR, Cessna 152 (15282268)
G-BSGT, Cessna T210N Turbo Centurion (21063361)
G-BSVM, Piper PA-28 161 Warrior II (28-8116173)
G-BTNH, Piper PA-28 161 Warrior II (28-8216202)
G-CBWD, Piper PA-28 161 Warrior III (2842160)
G-CDEF, Piper PA-28 161 Cadet (2841341)
G-CIZO, Piper PA-28 161 Cadet (2841155)
G-CMCF, Reims/Cessna F182Q Skylane (0047)
G-CSPT, Gippsaero GA-8 Airvan TC-320 (GA8-TC-320-11-161)
G-CTKL, Noorduyn AT-16ND Harvard IIB (07-30)
G-DOLY, Cessna T303 Crusader (T303-00107)
G-ENNA, Piper PA-28 161 Warrior II (28-7916060)
G-ICOM, Reims/Cessna F172M (1212)
G-IIRV, Vans RV-7 A (73895)
G-JOTR, AVRO 146 RJ85, Jota Aviation (E2294)
G-JOTS, AVRO 146 RJ100, Jota Aviation (E3355)
G-MOTI, Robin DR.500 200i President (0006)
G-NJAD, Dassault Falcon 2000EX EASy (041)
G-ORCD, Agusta A.109 S Grand (22009)
G-RODD, Cessna 310R (310R0544)
G-SOVB, Bombardier Learjet 45 (45-138)
G-UXLA, Bombardier Learjet 40 (45-2018)
G-ZNTJ, Bombardier Learjet 75 (45-562)
HA-LUA, Raytheon Aircraft Company 400 XP (RK-417)
HB-FWO, Pilatus PC-XII NGX (2102)
HB-FXN, Pilatus PC-XII 47E (1764)
M-COOL, Cessna Citation Mustang (510-0285)
M-DSML, British Aerospace 125 800B (258037)
M-LION, Hawker Beechcraft Corp Hawker 900XP (HA-0099)
N12ZX, Mooney M.20J Model 201 (24-3227)
N39CR, Piper PA-39 Twin Comanche C/R (39-4)
N99LE, Bombardier Global 6000 (9637)
N147KB, Cirrus Design SR22 G2 GTS (1869)
N178MH, Pilatus PC-XII 47 (875)
N179JD, Cirrus Design SR22T (1527)
N219PM, Cirrus Design SR22 G3 GTS Turbo (2756)
N522VR, Gulfstream Aerospace GIV (1102)
N808CA, Piper PA-32R 301 Saratoga SP (3246240)
OE-IOY, Bombardier Challenger 604 (5457)
P4-PIF, Bombardier Global 5000 (9346)
T7-GQM, Bombardier Global Express XRS (9189)
TC-ASD, Dassault Falcon 2000LX S (316)
VP-CLB, Dassault Falcon 900EX (34)