The iconic vintage Silver Spitfire’s longest flight expedition has completed its latest phase only to land in a European land for the time ever since it took off from London in August 2019. On its way, it covered many important milestones and made memories flying over Egyptian deserts. By Sushmita Srivastav
The latest leg of the ‘Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight’ expedition finally returns to the European soil after its desert break for the first time since the entire project commenced. Painstakingly restored by IWC Schaffhausen and Boultbee Flight Academy over a period of two years, the World War II British aircraft had taken off from London in August this year to embark on a round-the-world flight. The two daring pilots, Matt Jones and Steve Brooks are attempting to circumnavigate the globe for the first time in a single-seater Mk IX.
Post enjoying a brief break in Bahrain for the last major mechanical checks of G-IRTY that underwent a planned 25-hour service, the Spitfire first landed in Jordan’s Aqaba via Kuwait. Both the pilots agree that flying alongside the Royal Jordanian Falcons was the highlight of the non-stop flight. After that, they were headed to Egypt, and attended an IWC event in Abu Dhabi where they received a royal welcome by Sheikh Isa and Sheikh Mohammed, and witnessed spectacular air displays by the Blades. They admitted that it was phenomenal for them to fly over Egypt’s Pyramids.
A quick pit-stop in the Egyptian town of Marsa was followed by another big push, as they crossed the Mediterranean Sea to the town of Heraklion, which is located on Crete, the largest of the Greek Islands. With this, the Silver Spitfire completed its lengthiest flight so far only to come for a landing in the European land of Greece.
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