The Daily Telegraph Tuesday 6 August 2019 *** 3
News
By Hannah Furness
ROYAL CORRESPONDENT
and Patrick Sawer
THE Duke of Sussex has written to pi-
lots of a restored Spitfire to wish
them luck on their “audacious at-
tempt” to fly around the world,
conceding he has “more than a
tinge of jealousy” after learning
of their adventure.
The Duke, who flew Apache
helicopters during his time in
the Army, reminded Steve
Brooks, 58, and Matt Jones, 45,
to “have fun” as they took off
from Goodwood in the 1943
fighter yesterday.
They are attempting a mis-
sion they have called “The
Longest Flight”, plan-
ning to fly the newly
restored original
MK IX Spitfire,
named Silver
Spitfire,
around the
globe in a world
first.
Over four months, 27,
miles, 91 stages and 30 coun-
tries, the pilots plan to enter air-
space in which no Spitfire has
flown in a plane that last saw
action in the Second World
War before being grounded
for 50 years.
The Duke sent a typed good
luck message signed simply
“Harry”, scribbling, “And
most importantly, have fun!” at the
bottom in pen.
He had met Mr Jones before a fly-
past to mark the 75th anniversary of
the Battle of Britain, when he was sup-
posed to be his passenger in a two-
seater Spitfire. But the Duke gave up
his seat at the last minute to allow
Wing Commander Tom Neil, a Battle of
Britain veteran who twice received the
Distinguished Flying Cross, to fly.
“I am writing with more than a tinge
of jealousy, to wish you the very best of
luck ahead of your audacious attempt to
circumnavigate the globe in our most
iconic and evocative aircraft,” he said.
“I still have vivid memories of flying
in a Spitfire on my visit to Boultbee in
- To be a spectator of the Battle of
Britain Memorial Flypast was truly
special and an experience I’ll never
forget. I am sure this occasion will be
equally, if not more so, memorable for
Make sure you have fun,
says Duke as he praises
attempt to fly around the
world in restored fighter
The Silver Spitfire
was built in 1943
but has been
grounded for half a
century; left, pilots
Steve Brooks and
Matt Jones‘Your
expedition
will be an
incrediblefeat of skill,
enduranceand
engineering,
no doubtsupported by
a dedicated
crew’HEATHCLIFF O’MALLEY FOR THE TELEGRAPHHarry salutes Spitfire pilots as they reach for the sky
the both of you. Your
expedition will be an
incredible feat of skill,
endurance and engineer-
ing, no doubt supported by a
dedicated crew. I send the
whole team my best wishes for
this great adventure.”
After taking off from Goodwood
Aerodrome at 1.30pm yesterday, the
Silver Spitfire set off for Scotland
where it will be escorted out of the UK
by a Typhoon. Highlights of the
planned four-month trip will include it
joining the Red Arrows in Ottawa to fly
by the Canadian parliament and “vic-
tory rolling” over the pyramids. It is
painted silver to avoid appearing “pro-vocative”. Engineers and enthusiasts
teamed up in a two-year restoration
project in which they focused on re-
pairing rather than replacing original
parts. A few modern elements, includ-
ing iPads, have been added, with a
small support team due to follow the
plane.
In the lead-up to take-off yesterday,
Mr Jones said: “I’m a bit nervous but
excited to get going. It’s been a long
time in planning and we’ve put a lot of
work into this aeroplane.”
Mr Brooks said: “It’s the most ex-
traordinary thing that when a Spitfire
flies over, people will run out of their
offices and houses – young kids,
women, men, everybody.”By Hannah Furness
ROYAL CORRESPONDENT
and Patrick Sawer
THE Duke of Sussex has written topi-
lots of a restored Spitfire to wish
them luck on their “audacious at-
tempt” to fly around the world,
conceding he has “more than a
tinge of jealousy” after learning
of their adventure.
The Duke, who flew Apache
helicopters during his time in
the Army, reminded Steve
Brooks, 58, and Matt Jones, 45,
to “have fun” as they took off
from Goodwood in the 1943
fighteryesterday.
They are attempting a mis-
sion they have called “The
Longest Flight”, plan-
ning to fly the newly
restored original
MKIX Spitfire,
named Silver
Spitfire,
around the
globe in a world
first.
Over four months,27,
miles, 91 stages and 30 coun-
tries, the pilots plan to enter air-
space in which no Spitfire has
flown in a plane that last saw
action in the Second World
War before being grounded
for 50 years.
The Duke sent a typed good
luck message signed simply
“Harry”, scribbling, “And
most importantly, have fun!” at the
bottom in pen.
He had met Mr Jones before a fly-
past to mark the 75th anniversary of
the Battle of Britain, when he was sup-
posed to be his passenger in a two-
seaterSpitfire. But the Duke gaveup
his seat at the last minute to allow
Wing Commander Tom Neil, a Battle of
Britain veteran who twice received the
Distinguished Flying Cross, tofly.
“I am writing with more than a tinge
of jealousy, to wish you the very best of
luck ahead of your audacious attempt to
circumnavigate the globe in our most
iconic and evocative aircraft,” he said.
“I still have vivid memories of flying
in a Spitfire on my visit to Boultbee in
2 014. To be a spectator of the Battle of
Britain Memorial Flypast was truly
special and an experience I’ll never
forget. I am sure this occasion will be
equally, if not more so, memorable for
Make sure you have fun,
says Duke as he praises
attempt to fly around the
world in restored fighter
The Silver Spitfire
was built in 1 943
but has been
grounded for half a
century; left, pilots
Steve Brooks and
Matt Jones‘Your
expedition
willbe an
incrediblefeat of skill,
enduranceand
engineering,
nodoubtsupported by
a dedicated
crew’HEATHCLIFFO MALLEYFORTHETELEGRAPHHEATHCLIFFO’MALLEYFOR THE TELEGRAPHthe both of you. Your
expedition will be an
incredible feat of skill,
endurance and engineer-
ing, no doubt supported by a
dedicated crew. I send the
whole team my best wishes for
this great adventure.”
After taking off from Goodwood
Aerodrome at 1.30pm yesterday, the
Silver Spitfire set off for Scotland
where it will be escorted out of the UK
by a Typhoon. Highlights of the
planned four-month trip will include it
joining the Red Arrows in Ottawa to fly
by the Canadian parliament and “vic-
tory rolling” over the pyramids. It is
painted silver to avoid appearing “pro-vocative”. Engineers and enthusiasts
teamedup in a two-year restoration
project in which they focused on re-
pairing rather than replacing original
parts. A few modern elements, includ-
ing iPads, have been added, with a
small support team due to follow the
plane.
In the lead-up to take-off yesterday,
Mr Jones said: “I’m a bit nervous but
excited to get going. It’s been a long
time in planning and we’ve put a lot of
work into this aeroplane.”
Mr Brooks said: “It’s the most ex-
traordinary thing that when a Spitfire
flies over, people will run out of their
offices and houses – young kids,
women, men, everybody.”‘When a
Spitfire flies
over, people
will run outof their
offices and
houses’FLIGHT DIRECTION FLIGHT DIRECTIONUKIceland
Greenland Faroe Isl.FranceAustriaTurkeyEgyptJordanOmanKuwaitPakistanIndiaBahrainUSCanadaThe Silver Spitfire route
RussiaJapan
ChinaMyanmar VietnamLaosSouth
KoreaStart
Aug 5 2019
Finish
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