Alex James learns to fly a Spitfire

Telegraph columnist and Blur bassist Alex James fulfills a lifelong dream - flying a Spitfire.

Alex was given the chance to join the Boultbee Academy, a Goodwood- based flying school that compresses as much as possible of what actual trainee spitfire pilots learned, into a two-day course.

Teaching begins, just as it did in the Thirties and Forties with a Tiger Moth, progressing to a more powerful Harvard before moving on to the Spitfire on day two.

"Probably all men dream of being a pilot at some time or another and all pilots want to fly a Spitfire," said Alex. "And it is one of those rare things that is even better than it sounds on paper. Or you could possibly imagine it would be."

Read Alex's emotional account of his flight in The Sunday Telegraph's Life section and online at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/9605171/Alex-James-flies-a-Supermarine-Spitfire.html

Watch more:

Spitfire takes to the skies again after 71 years:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh1S-C1r_mA

Pilot's eye view from a Lancaster bomber:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqiVTLBl3FQ

Alexei Sayle test drives the Ferrari 458 at Goodwood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNPP6szsPXg

Тэги:

#Alex_James_(musician) #Spitfire #Goodwood #vintage #plane #aviation #world_war #Blur_(band) #flying #pilot #WW2 #R_J_Mitchell #Chichester #Tiger_Moth #Harvard #war_plane #jet #barrel #roll #green_and_pleasant_land #Jerusalem #Boultbee_Academy #warbirds #biplane #hangar #Airfix #Supermarine_Spitfire #Rolls-Royce #Merlin #engine #victory_roll #Goodwood_Aerodrome #Reach_for_the_sky #Aircraft_(Invention) #crying #Royal_Air_Force_(Organization) #Propeller_(aircraft)

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