The Longest Flight: Onboard The Silver Spitfire
IWC Schaffhausen and Boultbee Flight Academy launch the longest flight expedition which sees pilots Matt Jones and Steve Boultebee Brooks onboard the restored iconic aircraft “Silver Spitfire” on a journey around the world.
Over the last two years, more than a dozen specialists have worked to restore an original Spitfire MK IX aircraft, which was originally built in Castle Bromwich back in 1943. Pilots Matt Jones and Steve Boultebee Brooks were enthusiastically partnered with IWC Schaffhausen looking forward to embarking on an expedition to bring this World War famous aircraft around the countries it was used to defend.
The Longest Flight onboard The Silver Spitfire: Week One
Singer JJ Julious Son from the rock band Kaleo, welcomes The Silver Spitfire once it lands in Iceland. After a weather hold in Iceland, The Silver Spitfire Team successfully made it to the vast open expanses of Greenland, before moving on to Northern Canada.
The Longest Flight onboard The Silver Spitfire: Week Two
Pilots Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones have been blown away by the incredible scenery and kind hospitality shown, while travelling from the relative wilderness of Greenland and Canada to the bustle of New York.
The Longest Flight onboard The Silver Spitfire: Week Three
It has been just over three weeks since pilots Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones set out on their epic round-the-world journey onboard The Silver Spitfire. Fresh from New York, they had been busy, trekking across the United States in their iconic Spitfire, and stops in Texas, Las Vegas and finally Santa Monica dominated their schedule over the days.
The Longest Flight onboard The Silver Spitfire: Week Four
Since leaving the United Kingdom back in August, pilots Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones have chalked up an impressive 6,449 nautical miles on their “Silver Spitfire - The Longest Flight” expedition.
The Longest Flight onboard The Silver Spitfire: Week Five
The fifth week of the “Silver Spitfire - The Longest Flight” expedition saw pilots Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones make a return to Canada, before they travelled rapidly on to Alaska. Despite arriving six days ahead of schedule, they hit their first major setback of the mission, with poor weather prompting a frustrating delay to their journey into Russia.
The Longest Flight onboard The Silver Spitfire: Week Eight
pilots Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones have made it beyond the halfway point of their unprecedented round-the-world journey, as the “Silver Spitfire - The Longest Flight” expedition entered its eighth week. Ahead of this important milestone, the duo endured a tough week and a half, avoiding weather systems as they made their way across Russia en route to Japan.
Since its departure in August, the “Silver Spitfire - The Longest Flight” expedition has covered thousands of nautical miles and successfully flown across the Atlantic, the USA, Canada, Russia and Japan. Almost three months later, and following a two-week break, pilots Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones returned to conclude the second-half of their record-breaking adventure. Arriving in Myanmar, the pair relished their return to the cockpit.
The Longest Flight onboard The Silver Spitfire: Week Nine
Following the previous week’s journey from Japan to Myanmar, the “Silver Spitfire - The Longest Flight” expedition continued apace, racking up the number of nautical miles to over 16,666. Although a few issues delayed progress a little in November’s opening leg, pilots Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones pressed on with their incredible record-breaking feat, journeying through India and Pakistan and landing in the Middle East.
The Longest Flight onboard The Silver Spitfire: Week Ten
The latest leg of the “Silver Spitfire - The Longest Flight” expedition marked big milestones and achievements for the team. After enjoying a short break in Bahrain while the Spitfire received its last mechanical checks for the last leg of the trip, the pilots embarked on their lengthiest flight to Aqaba in Jordan. They received a spectacular view of Egypt’s pyramids, before making another long flight to reach European soil for the first time since August.
Speaking about the final leg of the journey of the “Silver Spitfire - The Longest Flight” pilots, Matt Jones and Steve Boultbee Brooks said,“ It feels amazing to be back on European soil and we’re really looking forward to the final push home.”
Their next stop, Italy, Switzerland.
Follow Matt Jones and Steve Boultbee Brooks’ Journey onboard The Silver Spitfire on Live Flight Tracker.
