Spitfire Aerobatics
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- Rolls and Loops in the Spit IX, with commentary by Dave Hadfield.
Aircraft owned by Mike Potter, and flown in association with Vintage Wings of Canada at Gatineau, QC. www.vintagewings.ca
The music is from "Song Of The Spitfire" (c)2019 by Dave Hadfield. This is its first release. For more flying songs, see Dave's 14-song aviation album "Climbin' Away" hadfield.ca/cli...
For more in-depth Spitfire takeoff-and-landing tips, see • Fly A Spitfire -- With...
For more tips about Spitfire non-aerobatic display wingovers and passes, see • Flying a Spitfire Air ...
NOTE: There are many comments about how long it takes to go through the checklists and get the thing airborne. In the B of B the ground crews would have started the engines and done the mag checks etc before sunrise. As soon as the pilots appeared on the airfield they'd go to their aeroplane, talk to the crew about it, check that all the switches and levers were in the right position for a Scramble, and -- very important! -- arrange the parachute and harness "just-so" for a quick strap-in-and-go; and brief the ground crew about exactly how they were going to coordinate the startup and launch. BUT... I fly many different aircraft types, our ground crew have many different duties, and we have no time-imperative. So we use checklists -- which have been shown many times to reduce the "oh-crap-forgot-that" mistakes.
The best Spitfire video I ever saw! Thanks heaps and keep up the fun mate!
If there's a more beautiful machine than a mk9 Spitfire I've yet to see it. Thanks Dave, for sharing these flights with us.
MkI, MkVIII and the MkXIV are my personal favourites.
Totally agree. That prop and spinner and the perfectly proportioned extra length with the Merlin 66. The Mk V was just that tiny bit stubbier. Alex Henshaw said the Mk V with a light fuel load was the best for aerobatics though.
@@johnmclean6498 Mk V. is classic. All after that was only damaging legend. Nothing after V isn´t that contures.
My personal favourite is the De Havilland Mosquito. A beautiful aircraft.
@@Newbonic DCS is about to release the FB Mk VI. Can't wait.
Excellent video, commentary and flying, thanks for sharing.
I never tire of anything involving spitfires.
Bloody brilliant - thank you for sharing! I was lucky enough to have a flight in Spitfire MJ627 for my 50th, in Duxford UK, and it was the best experience I've ever had. I can't help but be envious of those that get to fly these beauties for their day job! Just awesome....
I once spent a day travelling in an ex-Spitfire pilots car with him in the ‘80s. I’ll never forget his tales. When I asked how they were to fly he just said , ‘I could still fly one now!’
I've watched WW2 warbirds flying at airshows, so it's great to see one flying from inside the cockpit. Thanks for a great video with good commentary. Our high school class ballroom dance teacher - who we all thought was a 'frumpy' old lady - used to ferry Spits and other fighters around England during the war. I only found this out many years later as part of her obituary.
My husband and I really enjoyed this flight. My father-in-law was a WW2 Spitfire pilot with the RCAF 441 squadron and this really helped us to imagine what it must have been like for him in the cockpit. Thank you so much! We envisioned what it might have been like for him to take off during a scramble. I doubt he had any time to go through a pre-flight check list, not that he would have anyway. He never liked to follow written instructions at the best of times. We find it amazing that he got home!
Not that it probably matters to you but my mum made the gun barrels for the Spitfire that your father in law flew.
My mother worked for Fairy aviation during the war her job was to repair leading edges on damaged aircraft she was 24 in 1940 and worked there throughout the war when I started work in 1961 age 15 I inherited her tool kit for my apprenticeship in sheet metal working . One of my projects was making a flip over Jig for assembling the wingsHappy days I was 19 at the time.
Is there anything more iconic than looking out over those beautiful elliptical wings... On your shoulders are those who dream to fly her today, and the ghosts of those ‘Few’ who did and gave their lives for us.. Wonderful video..
Pro trick: watch series on flixzone. Been using it for watching loads of movies these days.
@Nehemiah Kylan Definitely, I've been watching on Flixzone} for months myself =)
@Nehemiah Kylan Definitely, I have been using flixzone} for since november myself :)
Absolutely Wonderful.
Growing up, the father of a friend was a man named Al Studholme. Al was man I got to know much better as I got older. I was unaware that he’d flown Spitfire Mk IX’s until I was in my 30’s. During a casual conversation, he mentioned he was overseas during the war and one thing led to another. I was blown away when he said he’d flown Spitfires.
WHAT???
In an instant he’d gone from my friend’s father to A GUY WHO FLEW SPITFIRES.
Al flew for 401 Sqn, lost his engine over France accompanying American bombers to St. Omer. He bailed out and ended up in Stalag Luft III.
We often went to the aviation historical meetings at North York library where I met other pilots, including (Ace) Don Morrison. Great thrill. Morrison’s Spitfire YOA may be seen in a painting by aviation artist Ron Lowry which graces the cover of the Milberry book mentioned further in my comments.
Al attended a fighter pilot reunion at Southampton (can’t recall the year ) where he met Nick Grace, the man who restored a Mk IX, an airplane that came disassembled in a numbers of crates. He’d acquired the Spit from ( I think) the Strathallan Collection in Scotland.
There is a documentary called The Perfect Lady that tells the story of the painstaking restoration.
Al mentioned to Mr. Grace he’d flown Mk IX’s during the war but has suffered an early exit.
At this, Nick Grace graciously asked the question.......’Would you like to go up?’.
In Larry Milberry’s book Royal Canadian Air Force At War, there is mention of that flight plus a photo of Al waving from the rear seat during a low pass.
(Yes, a rear seat. The aircraft had been converted to a two seat version after the war.)
Like almost all WWII participants, Al is gone but not forgotten.
Nice to see some Spitfires that live on.
Great story! Thanks.
The most beautiful plane ever made! 👌
Have 3 MK.IX's nesting at the local airfield (Lee-on-the-Solent), and worked security at many airshows around the country.
Still never tire of hearing that mighty Merlin or seeing that beautiful elliptical wing.
Thanks for the excellent video. She's bloody gorgeous and really appreciate the "handling" commentary with the instrumentation view! :)
No way that I'm going to skip to the take-off moment. I want to see everything of this beauty :)
Great video, thanks!
That's as close as I will ever come to being in a Spitfire. Thank you for the ride and conversation.
I had the privilege to sit in that very Spitfire yesterday at Geneseo sat show 7/13/24. A really kind mechanic offered me the chance to do something the 7 year old in me would dream of for 50 years to come true. What an incredible feeling to first time watch one fly and to actually be able to do that. Thank you to the mechanics and the pilot for such a wonderful day . As a pilot and a+p mechanic I truly appreciate the work ,dedication and skill involved in keeping such a beautiful aircraft operating and flying in top performance. I hope to come to Canada to see you again someday, Thank you all so much. David
So special to see Y2K flying as I saw it for the first time sitting in the hangar in Comox in parts with only the fuselage in a jig being restored. What a gift it was to see it return home a couple summers ago and get the photos I did.
Thank you Dave Hadfield for the very informative preflight process and flight. This one is for you Bonn.
That's how I first saw it too, in 2006. Stocky Edwards took me there when I was interviewing him about our P-40. And I met Bonn, who was working on it then -- may he rest easy.
Excellent video, very informative especially on the start up checks and run up. I was lucky enough to fly in a MK9 TR2 for my 50th birthday. A boyhood dream come true. The merlin sounds beautiful, from the outside, but from the inside, so DAMN loud, like a noisy tractor ;) even with a helmet and ear defenders. As you said at the end, the flight was so incredibly smooth, like a hot knife through butter. We flew over the south downs in England, did a series of aerobatics, buzzed a train at low level, with the pilot a making me laugh, shouting " train, 10 o clock, lets have him!" and going "dah dah dah dah dah!" as we dived down, pulling up into an aileron roll, then later, a low level fly of a Royal Navy destroyer out in the Solent. A magical experience. I do envy anyone who´s lucky enough to fly these old birds on anything like a regular basis. Thanks for posting :)
Yes. The truth is the pilot never hears the sound that the airshow crowd hears. Inside the thing it's being like in a pump-house, or generator shack. Very industrial.
for my 70th birthday my famiiy brought me a flight in a T6 at Duxford ,what a great experience ,thoroughly enjoyed your videos ,he let me fly it for a while as i have done a fair amount of gliding
This is not just an aeroplane, its magic on wings...
Just beautiful. As a pilot, I'll never get to fly a Spitfire...but this is the closest I'll get. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing . After watching the flight and hearing the song I even felt a bit teary. The way pilots speak of its grace and character one can only wish to know what it feels like to fly. At least we ground hogs can admire its beauty.
Dave, you fly the Spitfire like you were wearing it! And, thank you to Mr Potter for the pleasure of having these aircraft for us to enjoy.
That's what you do like strap the spitfire to your back..
Wow! What a great video. My father worked on Spitfires and then flew on Lancaster’s as a young Polish flight engineer. Very moving!
Respect for your Dad!
When it comes to music, Dave is a great pilot!
Let's hear your airplane songs, wise guy.
;)
Ha ha ha.
Y2K is a master piece, a top quality restoration, she looks almost too good lol. Hot or not Dave, that was a beauty landing. I don't know how you can restrain yourself from refueling and going up again.
The owner, Mike P, feels that way...
Cost fuel puts a damper on fly time... ;-)
@@airgliderz I would assume the merlin would be an expensive mouth to feed lol.
Of all the Spit videos I've watched over the years , this is a real treasure .... You sir have the thanks of an ageing - closing to retirement H.A.F. CMsgt .
Very nice. One of the women ATA pilots who flew military aircraft from factory to squadron commented that she thought that the Spitfire was a perfect plane for women. It was very easy to fly, once you learned how to handle the take-off problems and the narrow wheelbase. She said that it was a plane that just reacted perfectly to to every input.
Great video, i was fortunate enough to go for a pleasure flight in a Spitfire a few year's ago here in the UK and it was a life changing experience! I am not a pilot, but i was allowed to take control of the Aircraft and was totally amazed by how light and sharp the Spitfire was to the touch! It felt like a sharp knife cutting the air? Beautiful in every way.
Ah the Y2K Spit. When it was being re done in Comox, my dad and I flew over to go have a look. The gents there were so awesome and let us come in and hang out while they were working on it. At that time, it was very early days and they were working on routing all the hydraulic piping. Cool to see it flying.
It is truly wonderful to see that old girl fly and go through some maneuvers.
Always enjoy your videos. I appreciate the time it takes to make them and I thank you for sharing them.
Dave you are a natural. Pilot and presenter. Calm, insightful and entertaining. Bravo.
Dave your commentaries are so excellent! As a non-pilot lover of warbirds and aircraft generally, I really appreciate the detail. I've watched a couple of your vids and your commentary's never boring and really brings us into the cockpit experience. Many many thanks! Stay well :)
I just finished watching the doc. Spitfire ,its a must watch . The ending will bring the tears on !
Magnificent! My 9 year old son is a huge Spitfire fan. He knows all about it. Every part is known to him. He recently gave a talk at school about the Spitfire. I'll show him this video when he gets home from school. He will love it.
What a totally joyous video! Beautiful flying, great informative commentary. I saw a lone Spit flying from Exeter a few afternoons this week on pleasure flights, with that unmistakable Merlin sound....
You have experienced things that many of us have dreamed about since we were kids, thank you!
The pilots enthusiasm shows, and as other former pilots have mentioned, a great aircraft to fly. I can only imagine.
Its hard to think 18 year olds flew them in a combat situation so much to think about just flying without fighting.
That was brilliant. I love the experienced operator's insight here coupled with some nice flying.
Feel like I've just had my first flight in a Spitfire !..... Brilliant and absolutely fascinating.
I just loved every second of the video, thank you for talking us through your flight, absolutely fantastic.
That incredible airplane of WW2 which has no equal and to which we owe so much. I like the great story of Hermann Goering coming to visit his Luftwaffe pilots in France during the Battle of Britain. German pilot morale was suffering because so many were getting shot down. Goering asked Adolf Galland, the famous German ace "Is there anything you need?" Galland replied, "Yes, a squadron of Spitfires".
Lovely flight in a stunning airplane. I was thankful to see her fresh off the restoration at the Abbotsford airshow in 2018.
Thanks for taking us up in her Dave that was an epic flight.
Great performance the Spit and the pilot, you put me right at the controls in my dream aircraft, thanks a lot
Thank you sir for letting us have a ride !
Thank you for what you do Dave. I have 4 hours in the P-51 at Stallion so I can feel the movements you are putting the Spit thru. And 4.5 G is plenty enough for me. Got to see Jerry Billings fly years ago. He put on an awesome show.
Jerry was a legend.
Thank you so much Dave it certainly brings back memories . Havent been in a Spitfire again since 1995.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful presentation and interesting commentary. The pilots of the war years did not have it easy getting flying time in before combat. I salute them all. You are helping to keep their memory alive. RAF medic. (ex), living down under in Tasmania-a great place to be. 👍😁🇬🇧🇦🇺🦘
Best video on Spitfires I've ever seen - thank you.
What a lucky guy. She's immaculate. The Mk IX is one of my favourite versions. Great video. All the best, Rob
Thanks Dave, it was great. Cheers from France.
Awesome plane, awesome video. Awesome commentary.
Oh Mr Dave, so beautiful
I'm in my 60s now and had a relative who, as a child in war torn Britain, would witness the vapour streams of dog fights in the skies. Although terrifying, it would be an unforgettable sight to see these beautiful machines flying in anger.
Fantastic video and greatly appreciated that you shared your knowledge/experience/tips during the flight. You mentioned "torque spin", which is a sad reminder of what happened to the Mk IX spitfire we used to have in South Africa. It used to be hangered a few miles away from where I lived and I often saw/heard it flying overhead.
The owner sold the aircraft and it was moved by the new owner to a different airport. Not long after that, the new owner, who did not have many flight hours in the spitfire, crashed on landing and was killed instantly.
According to the accident report:
" ... The pilot initiated a steep right-hand turn for a final approach to the runway and during this turn the aircraft approached a stall condition. The pilot applied a substantial amount of power, which caused the aircraft to roll uncontrollably to the left and impact the ground. The pilot was killed during the impact and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable Cause:
The pilot executed a steep turn at slow speed during his final approach for a landing. During the turn the left-hand wing of the aircraft stalled and caused it to auto-rotate to the left. The application of power further exacerbated the uncontrollable roll to the left and the aircraft impact the ground. The low level of experience the pilot had on the aircraft type and his extensive experience on the Pilatus PC6-aircraft could be considered as a contributing factor to this accident."
Well! That was the best commentary on a take-off, Spitfire flight/landing ever. Just great! Thank you!
it is with gratitude and great thanks that you have shown exactly what those young and inexperianced pilots had to deal with, aswell as getting into a scrap wilst airbourne, i a salute you sir.
Absolutely awesome, my friend. This kinda stuff keeps me motivated! Well flown!
One of the best WWII planes and a good presentation too
Leslie Howard and David Niven "spitfire". great movie. thanks so much for the sounds. Spitfire was the most stable firing platform in war2. 6 .303s a little light but worked with no bad results to airframe.
Actually, eight .303 guns, before they started including 20 mm cannons. The Hurricane was a far more stable gun platform, as were - thinking of two more - the Typhoon and P47.
What an absolutely cracking flight. The adrenaline rush every time you get in one of these old birds must be fantastic.
Love your videos. Extremely entertaining and always very informative
What a marvelous machine! To think that this design was invented in the late '30s, simply incredible. Thank you for the ride along. I liked your song also.
Some day I'll go to see the "Flying Legends" in Duxford. Tears of joy guaranteed. Tx for keep it flying.
No longer takes place at Duxford
Thank you for including the pre and post start checks.
Thank you beautiful ride.
This was an amazing informative video!! Wow i got goosebumps even
Fantastic video, really appreciate the excellent commentary as well.
You sir are incredible.
Cheers.
As Richard Bach sad in one of his books ..."and then sky is green and the ground is blue"... :) I flew it with you Dave, beautiful bird, a beautiful video. Loved every second of it... I have touched Spitfire in museum, but, I will never fly it...
Such an amazing aerodynamic work of art the best aircraft ever made :)
These are not planes. No they are love affairs. God are they beautiful. One thing does come to mind watching you prepare. One of my favorite war movies obviously Battle of Britain. Both my parents were in London during the 24 hour bombing period that was I believe almost 2 months. But anyway.... when the Lads (pilots) were scrambled and called upon to get up in the air how were the planes prepped for take off. Was a portion up to the ground crew to have the Spits almost ready.
It is an honor to watch you and your Spit. Thank you and that is living large. When Men were Men and honor was honor. My parents with that stiff upper lip explained many happenings to me was I was a young lad. Many years ago.
Thank you !
One of the best flight and commentary videos I have seen. Great work Dave! Would like to fly with you sometime
Nice to see two Icons! In the 70s the Spitfire flown by Jerry Billings was a regular site in Essex County Ontario. Love that Merlin.
Thanks. Yes, I've been to the monument.
Thanks for taking us aboard. Cheers
Amazing and fascinating!
There was a chap from here in Ashbourne U.K. got killed in a spitfire around 25 years ago performing a loop, he bottomed out!
Your voice sounds like Clint Eastward
Thanks for the filming etc!!
Thanks! My voice may resemble Clint's, but my face sure doesn't.
@@davehadfield5906 Yes ... poor old Clint is starting to look in need of a 100 hourly.
Dave your a hella-va aviation ambassador!
Wonderful, you can imagine why so many pilots loved the spit. My father flew spits.
Holy smokes Batman!
The sound of that Merlin makes the hairs on my neck stand up!
Please keep this coming!
Given the cockpit checks, prop pitch checks etc.. it’s incredible to think that there were times during the war, particularly during the BoB that they were required to scramble and climb in under 2 minutes..
One of my teachers said of it that his best friend at school went through the war as a fighter pilot and felt lucky (my teacher had ended up in the Far East fighting the Japanese). He said he loved every minute of it and was thinking about his Post War career in the RAF, until the day the war in Europe ended. He was about to take an aircraft up when he was told to fill in the paperwork. To which he said he had, it was then pointed out that "the paperwork" was all the official forms that should have been filled in but in war were just put on one side. He decided not to stay in the RAF when he realised the change that was coming.
Brilliant.
Great video, really enjoyed this many thanks.
Awesome Video! Thank you for your Video! Greetings from Germany!
How cool would it be to be able to just go climb in a Spitfire and go flying?
Lovely !! Your Mk IX is a real sweetheart !!😃
What a nice video. Would love to fly the Spiti
Fantastic video. Great to see the Roseland MK IX Spitfire.
This video is just amazing, well done!
My absolute favorite warbird of all time, great video! 👍👍👍
Bloody amazing Dave... thank you for this.
Great video and channel. I've been enjoying your content while I recover from back surgery...great way to pass the time! Makes me look forward to getting back in the saddle. Cheers!
Great run-through of the preparation for takeoff. Thanks for the detail. (I would want my lineman/assistant to leave the cellphone in his pocket and give me his undivided attention.)
One day
One day
Tis on my bucket list to fly one!!!
What a beautiful Airplane
I get chills when I hear Merlins overhead. Luckily a few pass over our house in summer every year. I should have become a pilot instead of a builder.
Great video, I am going to Biggin Hill U.K. hopefully later in the year to fly in one!!
Great "in cockpit" video.