Have wanted to see to the Imperial War Museum sites both in London and Duxford for years, decades even, so Duxford today was a (great) start. The airfield has a long and glorious history, including taking delivery of the first operational Spitfire, in 1938.
Apart from seeing aircraft like the Dragon Rapide airborne, a highlight was the experience of being inside a German fighter pursuing several Spitfires over the White Cliffs. Expected something of the fairground, but it stirred an even deeper appreciation of those who took to the skies during that teeter-totter moment in our history.
Then, as we were walking back to the exit, guarded by a Hurricane on a stand (according to Wikipedia, the ‘gate guard’ aircraft is a Hawker Hurricane II, squadron code WX-E of No.302 (Polish) Squadron, Serial No. P2954, flown by Flight Lieutenant Tadeusz Pawel Chlopik), I heard the unmistakable sound of a Merlin engine in the distance – and a Spitfire shot by, doing a roll up into the heavens.
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