Established in 1998, Into The Blue specialises in gift vouchers for some of the UK’s best experiences, activities and adventure day outs. (Promotional feature)
With over 1000 experiences available including a range of exhilarating driving, water sports and outdoor activities, Into The Blue’s experienced sales team offer unparalleled help, advice and support to all of their customers.
As a part of Displays International Ltd, who have been organising air shows since 1963, Into The Blue specialises in flying experiences and has partnered up with the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar to bring its customers an exclusive fight in a two seater Spitfire.
Following recent changes in the Civil Aviation Authority’s rules, aviation enthusiasts can now book a once in a lifetime experience of flying in an actual Spitfire. Thanks to the specially retrofitted T9 Tandem Spitfire, customers can now experience flying in one of the most iconic war planes in the world from the legendary Biggin Hill Airport, one of the most pivotal air bases used during the Battle of Britain.
The Spitfire in question actually saw active duty during the war before being converted into a two-seater training plane, it then served in the Irish Air Corps until it was retired in 1960. After being fully restored in the early 1990s, the plane took the skies again and has been gracing air shows across the country ever since. Next year will the first time that members of the public will be able to fly in her and experience the immense thrills of that Rolls-Royce Merlin engine spring into life.
What does the two-seater Spitfire experience include?
• An extensive pre-flight briefing covering the basics of the aircraft, equiptment used and safety procedure.
• A 30 minute flight in the rear seat of an actual Spitfire with approximately 20 minutes of in air time.
• A guided tour of the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar for you and up to three guests
• A question and answer session with the Biggin Hill Hangar team and up close access to the aircrafts being restored
• Experience flying the Spitfire with hand on controls (at the pilot’s discretion)
• Listen to the radio commentary between the pilot, ground crew and air traffic control
• An in-flight video recording of the Spitfire experience on either an SD card or USB stick
• Flight debrief and a chance to take pictures with the aircraft
• A souvenir flight patch for you to take home
• A flight suit, helmet and parachute are provided for you to wear during the experience
• The whole experience lasts for approximately 4 hours
When will the two-seater Spitfire experience be available?
• Tandem Spitfire experiences will be available on selected weekend throughout the year. The first flights are scheduled to take off in February 2015.
• All fights are subject to weather conditions on the day, air traffic control and aircraft serviceability
• Bespoke dates can be arranged but may be subjected to an additional fee
• Customers may also be able to extend the duration of the flight experience, although additional charges will apply and must be arranged in advance.
This truly is a once in a lifetime experience for any aviation fan and is brought to you exclusively by Into The Blue and the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar. Two Seater Spitfire Flights are available to book now from the Into The Blue website.
