Spitfire Flight

On 23rd December 2015 I fulfilled a lifetime dream - to fly in a Spitfire.
A holiday to New Zealand had already been booked when I realised that at Ardmore Airport there was a two-seater Mk IX Spitfire (Spitfire TR Mk IX - MH367 - in the colours of S/L Colin Gray) that one could fly in. I contacted Warbird Adventure Rides Ltd (www.warbird.co.nz/index.htm) and arranged my flight with the principal, Liz Needham.
The weather that day was glorious and I was, fortunately, not suffering from jet lag (having arrived from the UK on the 21st). My wife went with me and we were met by "JK" and Liz Needham. Although both fly the Spit, Liz was to take me aloft. After pre-flight briefing and a walk round, the adventure really began.
Liz is a 767 pilot with Air New Zealand, but is also a display pilot and flies with the Harvard display team the "Roaring 40's" (www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/A..., as well as displaying other warbirds (flying the P-40 firing blanks at the Warbirds over Wanaka airshow in the past - and due to do so again this coming March) and having her own flight training school. [Incidentally, JK is also a member of the Roaring 40's display team and often displays the P-40.]
The video tells the tale of the flight. After take off and circling the airfield we went off and after some gentle turns Liz performed some wing-overs. We then climbed and Liz performed three barrel rolls. Following this permission was obtained for low flying and we went down into the valleys. It was a fantastic experience to see treetops going past the wingtips. We then dived on an island, following which we flew low along the coast. Eventually it was time to return and after a circuit of the airfield, Liz put the Spit down smoothly for a three-point landing.
It was a fantastic experience and one I would thoroughly recommend to all who love flying. Liz is a lovely lady and great hostess, as well as being a great pilot. JK was also a great host who looked after my wife whilst I was in the air. Brakes on to brakes off was c.45 minutes and time in the air c.35 minutes.
Looking back, I enjoyed the whole experience. I would have loved to do more aerobatics, but then we would not have been able to do so much low flying (which was a great experience). It would have been nice to have had a go, but I suppose flying a £2million aeroplane is not to be taken lightly (although Liz allowed me to follow-through on the controls for most of the flight). I should have made more of my visit to their hangar and taken more time to look at the other aircraft, but I was too taken up with the flight to think about other things and/or think straight.
My wife has talked about returning to New Zealand in a couple of years; flying in a Spitfire was a lifetime dream fulfilled ... but ... is once ever enough?
The video was filmed using a GoPro Hero 4 Black on a head mount. Still photos were taken with a Canon EOS 400D.
This video was taken as my 'souvenir', but I trust that others may enjoy it with me. Apologies for any jerky bits, but when you are in a Spit you simply want to see all that is going on around you. This is my first ever attempt at a GoPro video.

[@philcrosby8931]

Brilliant! I travelled to the UK in July this year and did the same thing in a Spitfire at Goodwood aerodrome. Similar flight time and sequence, although got a loop in. As I hold a PPL, I was allowed to fly the machine, an unforgettable experience. Like you, I was totally blitzed by the whole flight, and forgot to take in the extra details. But I have the video, and the stamp in the log book!

[@johnhilliard767]

Thanks for the very nice clear video. Liz Needham is a very skilled pilot; by searching for a flight with Liz in a P40 warbird, you see a wonderfull view of her in a tailchase of another P40 via her helmet camera,,great flying skill display by her.

[@dennisoconnor6924]

Wonderful bit of video. Probably the best Spitfire video on UA-cam.

[@tectorama]

Very nice !

[@kylejacksonf44cs]

Id love to do this how much is nzd?,or gbp?

[@sloboniface]

+Kyle Jackson
It was just under 4,000 NZ$ and when I got the credit card bill back in the UK it was just over £1,800.

[@MarsFKA]

+Kyle Jackson
If you are in-country, and a Spitfire ride might blow your budget, could I suggest this one?
fighterflights.co.nz
I did a ride last year. Hottest hot rod that I ever rode in.