Spitfire experience flights are coming to council-owned airport

Richard Youle, Local democracy reporter 

Spitfire flights are coming to a council-owned airport in Wales in a fortnight’s time.

The famous fighter plane with its rumbling Rolls-Royce Merlin engine will take to the skies for paying customers at Swansea Airport on May 11 and five dates in June, July, August and September.

Representatives of Swansea Airport Stakeholders Alliance, which operates the airport at Fairwood Common, are thrilled at the tie-up with the company involved, FlyaSpitfire.com.

Boost

The company has three T.9 Spitfires and flies seven days a week from its Biggin Hill Airport headquarters south-east of London, and at airports in Surrey, the Cotswolds, Norwich and Blackpool.

Commercial manager Darren Dray said he hoped the new flights will give a boost to Gower and Swansea. “I think it’s going to be a beautiful place to fly from,” he said.

One Spitfire will come to Swansea on each flying date, with all three T.9s potentially visiting over the course of the season.

Extra flying dates will be added if the current ones sell out. Although a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the flights are expensive.

There are 30-minute, 45-minute and 55-minute options costing £3,375, £4,875 and £5,875 respectively, which include a free video of the flight and a victory roll. All the planes have dual controls.

Progress

The company said the costs of restoring and operating a Spitfire were high, with various key components having to be replaced at set intervals to comply with Civil Aviation Authority regulations.

Swansea Airport Stakeholders Alliance – a group of experienced aviation enthusiasts – said it was pleased with progress at the Swansea Council-owned airport, which it began operating on a temporary basis last September.

“There is a real buzz about the place,” said alliance chairman Bob Oliver.

“We are delighted to welcome FlyaSpitfire.com to operate at Swansea Airport throughout the summer. We are in discussions with a number of other companies and hope this will be the first of many exciting aviation opportunities.”

The airport has two flying clubs, a skydive business, a dog-friendly cafe now open seven days a week, plus Thai food four evenings a week.

Mr Oliver said the alliance has acquired a fire engine, fuel bowser, operations truck, two static caravans for staff and pilot use, and grounds maintenance equipment. An entertainments licence application for evening events has been submitted to the council.

The alliance has 150-plus members and operates on a not-for-profit basis. It has two paid part-time operations staff, with a third due to join this year.

The council intends to look for a long-term operator for the airport, which was requisitioned during the Second World War for use as an air defence airfield, via a competitive tender process.