Reliving the Battle of Britain aboard a Spitfire aircraft

By Wendell Gaa

The year 2025 marks the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, one of the most pivotal air battles not only during the Second World War, but in the history of Western civilization.

It was in this military conflict when Nazi Germany under its dictator Adolf Hitler had by 1940 overrun much of Western Europe and threatened to invade the isle of Great Britain with its overwhelming air power.

The great British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill however refused to surrender to German offers of negotiated and conditional peace. As a result, Hitler had sent waves of German Luftwaffe warplanes and bombers known as Messerschmitts and Stukas to bombard London and other English cities in an effort to force Britain to yield.  In defense against this campaign of terror by the Nazis, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) employed what would be its most iconic fighter plane and hence its very defender during the nation’s most dire time of need, the Spitfire.

Being a World War II history enthusiast, I have long been fascinated with the Spitfire and its heroic role in fighting off German warplanes. The single-propeller military aircraft played a decisive role in helping to turn the tide against invading Nazi German forces first when Britain as the lone country standing up against Hitler, after France and other Western European allies fell, had successfully defended itself against the invading Luftwaffe warplanes due to the technical and strategic superiority of the Spitfire aces. During the later stages of the Second World War Britain had allied with America and Russia and together with their combined might employed their air power against Germany which ultimately led to her defeat. 

It was during my recent summer trip to England when I decided to finally try personally riding an actual Spitfire for myself. I was inspired to try riding a historic military warplane after seeing how a New York-based friend of mine rode on a World War I-era aircraft (and also decided to give myself an early birthday treat this year through this once-in-a-lifetime experience). I came across this one site which offers Spitfire ride experiences to the public at this airfield in Biggin Hill in Greater London.

I took a 30-minute train ride from the area where I had been staying with my cousin in metropolitan London before arriving in Biggin Hill, a quaint countryside town with a typical English charm. I then took a 15-minute bus ride to the airfield from where I would embark on my long-awaited Spitfire flight.

Right near the driveway entrance to the airfield is a hotel where apparently other guests who sought to ride on the Spitfire or other types of vintage aircraft were staying. It was right at the hangar receiving office area where I met my super friendly guides and the expert pilot named Adam who would take me on my fantastic and memorable 30-minute ride.

I was then led to a small room where I screened a short video briefer on how to properly prepare for the Spitfire flight, complete with safety instructions. In the process I was also handed my military flight attire and was guided on how to properly wear it, all along as I was given some water as well to help soothe down any slight nervousness I might have been feeling. 

Fortunately, the minute my pilot led me to the Spitfire aircraft we would be riding and another assistant guided me on how to appropriately sit down inside the plane and place on all the safety and radio hearing equipment, all anxiety I had inside instantly dissipated! The takeoff took some time, but eventually that unmistakable engine roar of the Spitfire commenced, and we confidently rolled down the airfield and flew high above in the sky from where we had spectacular views of both the attractive English countryside and the fabulous London skyline too. I listened in awe and captivation as Adam had narrated to me over the radio hearing equipment the history of the Spitfire and its crucial part in contributing to Allied victory over the enemy forces in World War II. 

It was then that I began to more fully appreciate the daily risks and sacrifices which the British fighter pilots underwent in serving as frontline soldiers in the Battle of Britain and other Allied campaigns, and indeed the famous words of Churchill in his speech honoring these defenders of decency and humanity resonated all the more so with me: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much been owed by so many to so few.”