Expedition Day 22 After a brief overnight stay in Wick, Scotland, I flew south over Aberdeen, the North Sea, North York Moors National Park, and a patchwork of green farmer's fields to Cambridge. I was amazed at the vibrant plane spotting community in Duxford. David Whitworth took my photo as I unpacked my aircraft. Photo Credit: David Whitworth, Duxford Diary. By incredible coincidence, G-GDRV was parked on the ramp next to N944JK. This aircraft was flown around the world by Manuel Queiroz in 2006. While preparing for my RTW trip, I read about this globe circling aircraft in his book "Chasing the Morning Sun" (www.chasingthemorningsun.com). During weekends, IWM offers flights in the Spitfire and Dragon Rapide aircraft. The English are proud of their aviation history and support the IWM. A V12 powered Spitfire tearing up the sky above Duxford. The beauty of a Spitfire. One of the many resident Spitfires at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England. IMF Duxford hosts an extensive collection of aircraft in multiple museums spread over the grounds of a former WWII fighter base. I wandered the museums for hours, chatted with the mechanics working on the war birds, and hung out with the spitfire crew giving rides to the public. What a fantastic day off while surrounded in aviation history. Thank you Allan, Peter, and Chris for the VIP pass, transportation, and assistance during my stay at IWM, Duxford. Allan went the extra mile to help me plan my flight across the complex European air space from England to Italy. The SR-71 "Blackbird" demanding attention at the American museum at Duxford. Flying at Mach 3.2 at 80.000 ft, the nose would warp from the 800F surface temperature, requiring a periodic ironing-out process.
Josh P
7/4/2018 03:06:02 pm
I was at Duxford with my wife and kids, visiting from Portland, Oregon on Saturday June 23rd and spotted your plane on the ramp. An around the world flight is a dream of mine too and it was exciting to stumble across your path halfway around the world. Good luck! Comments are closed.
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