OnDeck – July 2019

PHOTOS IWC

As the main sponsor of the “Silver Spitfire - The Longest Flight”
expedition, IWC once again underscores its passion for aviation,
incorporating in Schaffhausen’s masterfully crafted watches the
groundbreaking engineering and timeless design of the legendary
British fighter aircraft, the Spitfire.

THE EXPEDITION

As part of a long cooperation with the Boultbee Flight Academy,
owned by British pilots Matt Jones and Steve Boultbee Brooks,
the Swiss watchmakers, who have joined the Academy in their
venture to push the boundaries of engineering and precision,
stand by the two pilots and so the greatest challenge-tour de force
is about to commence as the flight of the silver Spitfire around the
Earth is approaching its go-date.

Setting off in August from England, the fully restored Spitfire with
the glittering silver finish is going to cover over 43,000 kilometres
over several months. It is going to visit 30 countries, facing the most
extreme weather conditions. The Russian cold and the hot and humid
Asian climate, the storms over the Pacific and the desert sandstorms
will push materials, pilots and ground crew to their limits. Even
though the details of the route will depend on the weather, the Spitfire
is bound to take off in Goodwood in the South of England and fly over
Iceland, Canada and then the US to enable the crew to make the most
of the relatively mild weather conditions in the Arctic. It will then fly
over Alaska and Russia to reach Japan and Southeast Asia, following
the route to India and returning to Europe through the Middle East.

Given its limited range, the Spitfire has not been designed for

one such feat. The versatile and powerful aircraft, which is the

end result of over 20,300 models created between 1936 and

1948, has a range of 750 kilometres - almost the distance from

London to Schaffhausen - and has never attempted such a long

journey before.

THE PILOTS

The flight around the world in a Spitfire is the swashbuckling

idea of pilots Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones, who

founded the only officially approved academy for Spitfire pilots

in the world, giving trainees the opportunity to learn how to fly

the legendary fighter aircraft.

The two British pilots hope to write a unique chapter in aviation

history by completing the first flight around the world in a

Spitfire. Steve Boultbee Brooks, however, boasts a few more

records in his life. He was the first pilot to fly from the North

Pole to the South Pole by helicopter. The trip lasted more than

2 years and it took 2 helicopters and 100 separate flights to

complete. Counting 350 hours of flying, Matt Jones is one of

the most experienced Spitfire pilots of our time. With their

flight around the globe, the two pilots wish to demonstrate the

unique engineering of the Spitfire and make the aircraft known

to as many people as possible. As the ambassador of freedom,

the Spitfire is going to fly in countries where it has never

landed before.

The Silver Spitfire

by Romain Hugault