Centenary of Flight Historic Flypast, Some of the Pilots’ Thoughts, and a Contributor's Video!

Events to mark the year of the Centenary of Flight in South Hampshire continue tomorrow, Saturday 24 July, with the historic flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight above Southampton Water at 4.15pm.

Three historic aircraft will take part, the UK’s only flying Lancaster, a Hurricane and one of the aircraft with particular historic connection to the area – designed and built locally and which took its first test flight from Southampton Airport in 1936, the Spitfire.

Royal Victoria Country Park and Hamble foreshore are billed as among the best viewing points for watching and if you’re intending to head down to either tomorrow you might like to know – as you’re on the ground looking up – what some of the thoughts of two of the pilots will be as they're flying overhead in this year which not only marks 100 years of flight in South Hampshire but is also the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

I asked Flt Lt Mark Pearce if he ever felt ‘ghosts’ with him as he flew.

He replied, “Whilst I don’t feel like there are ‘Ghosts in the cockpit’, on a long transit when the radio is quiet I do often wonder who has sat in the seat I am sitting in and what they went through and what they were thinking.”

And about flying the planes, Flt Lt Pearce said, “It is a great privilege to fly these aircraft. They all fly differently and have their own ‘quirks’.  Once airborne they are relatively easy to fly, however landing takes a great deal of concentration and great care. It’s amazing to think what little experience many of the pilots back then had and still operated these a/c in bad weather, at night and under gun fire from the ground and the air.”

As to their favourite plane, “Of all the BBMF aircraft I’ve flown, the Mk 2 Spitfire is probably my favourite. It is light and nimble and beautifully balanced in the air,” Flt Lt Pearce explained. “However, as I said above, they all have their ‘quirks’, almost having a character of their own. The trusty Hurricane is another favourite and was the main ‘work horse’ of the Battle, scoring twice as many kills as the Spitfire.”

It will be Flt Lt Parkinson in the Spitfire tomorrow.

He commented that it is “Always a privilege to fly the Spitfire, particularly in the 70th anniversary year of the Battle of Britain. But a particular honour to be flying over the place where Spitfires were built and air tested throughout the war – this will make the flypast very special.”

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight was formed in 1957 to ensure the Battle of Britain, 1940, was commemorated in the most ‘fitting fashion’, by keeping the historic aircraft flying.

The Centenary of Flight Year in Hampshire marks the 100th anniversary of the first flight made at Southampton Airport when it was still a field on North Stoneham Farm and Edwin Rowland Moon flew his homemade Moonbeam II aircraft.

For details of other events taking place during the year see Hampshire County Council’s Centenary of Flight website and Hedgeendpeople story, 2010 is Centenary of Flight Year in Hampshire.

Please note, if you’re intending to watch the Historic Flypast tomorrow, the organisers advise allowing 5-10 minutes either side of the 4.15pm time advertised to allow for weather conditions.