I am asked what it feels like to fly a Spitfire by pilots and non-pilots at every air show. This WW2 aircraft is of great value to the community, now serving as an important flying memorial, allowing millions of people to learn the history of the most significant conflict the world has ever known. Veterans of WW2 often appear at air shows, affording the last opportunities to fill in the blanks of untold stories and remind us all what incredible sacrifices past generations made to allow us our current day freedoms.
Flying the Spitfire for the first flight was a surprise. Seventy year old technology suggests steam gauges, big levers, rickety designs and poor flying characteristics. What I found was that this aircraft is possibly stronger, tighter, more efficient and better harmonized in its controls than any modern aircraft. The genius of the design is immediately evident when the aircraft leaves the ground. The cockpit workload is as low as any primary trainer. The control stick is light, responsive, with micrometer precision. The engine is smooth from idle to full power. And does it ever move! From a standing start, it could beat a business jet around the patch. This is a machine with a singular purpose: to give a 19 year old pilot the physical extension of his thought to stop the enemy. The Spitfire does this with a grace absent in most other designs. The passion evoked while displaying this aircraft and the challenge in keeping such a memorial relevant in today’s high tech world makes each air show an opportunity that cannot be missed.
Dr. Rick Volker
Pilot
rvairshows.com
2009 (return) CIAS Performer
