When airworthy, IAC-161 will go into service with HFL and sister company Aircraft Restoration Company (ARC) as the final rung in the ladder of a unique warbird pilot training programme developed by ARC.
John Romain of HFL said: "For some time we've been working towards setting up the world's finest warbird pilot training programme. Flying a high-performance and rare warbird such as a Spitfire is a tremendous privilege and hugely rewarding, accessible to only a few. It demands good training and progressive conversion to minimise risk and maximise the rewards. When IAC-161 joins the flightline we will be able to take 100-hour PPL's through tailwheel conversion on our Chipmunk into complex and high-performance aircraft with our Harvard. The next and vital step on the way to soloing a Spitfire has been almost impossible before this - time in our dual-control Spitfire."
All training will be carried out by instructors working to military standards of performance, which will stand their students in good stead whether in a warbird or a modern aircraft.
IAC-161 is being fitted with a digital data acquisition system from Pi Research for monitoring aircraft performance and recording flight data. The system can also record video from each flight, with feeds from three miniature cameras on board. The video will be used for passenger mementoes and training purposes.
(photo: Peter Arnold)
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