Simviation Forums

Alex Henshaw had a flight in a Spitfire again the other day, at 92...

Article and Pictures here

Great article Chris, thanks for the link

a very good read. Thanks charlie

that dude old

that dude old

...and that "dude" (he prefers Alex ) flew all the way from Gravesend (20mins outside London) to Cape Town in 39hrs and 23 minutes (about 31hrs airborne time) in 1939 in this despite suffering from a partially severed finger...

He then flew back, in 39hrs 36 minutes...

...and he did it all in this...



and ended up looking like this...



Charlie

Even at the age of 92 I reckon that old dude could do things with a Spitfire others could only dream about.

http://www.angelfire.com/sd2/spitfirefactory/man.htm
[quote]When the Lord Mayor of Birmingham launched his Spitfire week, he approached Alex Dunbar the MD of the Factory to put on a little display. He in turn asked Alex but, he replied he was worried about the local's and the danger if anything went wrong. This was cleared and the show went ahead. People later found out that this act of stupidity and defiance was to teach the Mayor and Dunbar a lesson.

He carried out all the manoveres and running out of height after a series of vertical rolls lined up for his run down the Highstreet. Proceding to do this ended up in the inverted position above the civic hall. The people ran for cover as the ear shattering noise brought the city to a standstill. Admiration for the man was high, but the police were not impressed.

After landing the police arrived to take Alex down the station to give a statment to be taken. His reply to this was "I am not going anywere, the Mayor gave me the all clear and that was good enough for me "

The demonstration took the city of Birmingham to new heights.The city and other fund raising organizations raised a furthe

I've got Sigh For a Merlin, anyone know where I can get Flight of The Mew Gull? Haven't seen any copies for a while...

I've got Sigh For a Merlin, anyone know where I can get Flight of The Mew Gull? Haven't seen any copies for a while...

here, and a quick google search brings a few replys...

Good to see someone that age rewarded for his contributions and experience with an opportunity like that! Also not surprised he still had the touch...

Good to see someone that age rewarded for his contributions and experience with an opportunity like that!

I was wondering today why he has never been made "Sir Alex Henshaw". Surely even disregarding his wartime test-flying, he pre-war record breaking would have been enough to get 3 knighthoods in this day and age...

If I were him, I'd value that flight more than a knighthood.
BTW, what happened to his finger on that 1939 flight?

If I were him, I'd value that flight more than a knighthood.

I suspect that he only has to ask & anyone with a 2-seater Spitfire would let him fly it any time he wished to do so. The man is a legend. Unfortunately his friend & colleague Jeffrey Quill, chief test pilot at Supermarine during the war years, passed away in 1996.

Awesome story, great man!