Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Well, it’s not just any plane. It’s the newly restored WW2 Mark IX Spitfire is currently on the longest flight ever circumnavigating the globe.
IWC Schaffhausen and the Boultbee Flight Academy, in collaboration with Aviation Adventures Ltd, have celebrated the official start of the “Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight” expedition in Goodwood.
When the “Silver Spitfire” eventually took to the skies, it was accompanied by three two-seater Spitfires and the Royal Air Force. On the flight around the world, the two British pilots will cover more than 43,000 kilometres and visit 30 countries.
Watch the livestream:
The 1943 built spitfire has been carefully restored over the last two years for this event. Piloting the iconic British aircraft, on the first leg of its journey, is Matt Jones, co-founder of the Boultbee Flight Academy.
“I am excited to witness the start of the expedition,” said Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “Never in the history of aviation has a Spitfire embarked on such a long and arduous journey. I wish Steve Boultbee Brooks, Matt Jones and the entire ground crew every success.”
The route will take them to Iceland, and from there to Canada and the USA. A total of approximately 100 flight segments will be needed to complete the mission from start to finish. During their journey through the different time zones, Boultbee Brooks and Jones will wear the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Spitfire Edition “The Longest Flight”.
#BoultbeeFlightAcademy co-founders Matt Jones and Steve Brooks will fly a #Spitfire around the in 2019. Follow the journey @LongestFlight #SilverSpitfire and https://t.co/0WdOtpVjWO. pic.twitter.com/uj8BHmPNA1
— Boultbee Academy (@BoultbeeAcademy) April 2, 2019
