# I want to fly solo in a Spitfire. How can I achieve this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919 "2018-03-20T21:52:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919/1 "2018-03-20T21:52:22Z")
Just a mad thought. Being British and almost 50, flying a Spitfire would be very close to no.1 on my bucket list (if I had one). I’ve got all the time in the world and a bit of money, but I’m not looking to spend over, say, $100,000. I’m 49, in good health. I have no real flying experience other than a few training flights in gliders many years ago. Is there any way I could realistically achieve this? ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919/2 "2018-03-20T21:59:45Z")
I am not an airplane guy, but my best guess would be…you HAVE to have a pilots licence to start. Second, if you can’t buy or rent a plane, you’ll have to find an owner that will let you fly his. Good luck.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919/3 "2018-03-20T22:09:53Z")
Solo? Nobody is going to let you solo his Spitfire. So you’ll have to buy one. That will run you around $2.5 million. You’ll need your private pilot’s certificate. I don’t know what the rates and rules are in the UK, but in the U.S. that will cost you a few thousand. Of course a private pilot certificate is earned in a small, probably under-powered airplane. You’ll need to build hours in more complex airplanes. You want insurance? You need the experience. You might get some training in a Tiger Moth, and then eventually progress to a Harvard. The Harvard was an advanced trainer (hence ‘AT-6’ in the USAAF), so that will get you closer to a Spit. Once you have a thousand hours or two, you _might_ find someone willing to train you in a 2-seat Spit. AIUI, in the '30s and '40s a pilot was expected to have the experience to get a fighter into the air once he’d done his advanced training. So you _might_ feel confident enough to jump into your 2.5 megabuck Spiftire once you have a hundred hours or few in the Harvard. Of course if you don’t mind sitting in the back seat, you can [get a ride starting at £2750](https://flyaspitfire.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919/4 "2018-03-20T22:21:02Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > Is there any way I could realistically achieve this? Speak to the [Boultbee Flight Academy](http://www.boultbeeflightacademy.co.uk/spitfire-training). They do Spitfire training. It’s a snip at £54K. Plus VAT, of course. > [@](#): > > We will train you to solo standard but not necessarily allow you to solo the aircraft. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919/5 "2018-03-21T13:41:07Z")
Boultbee has a Spitfire simulator. Their website doesn’t seem to mention whether its for hire but I’d say that’s your best bet for “soloing” in a Spitfire without spending a lot of money. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919/6 "2018-03-21T14:17:03Z")
Does it \*have \*to be solo? There are several UK operations that will take you for a ride in a 2-seater. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919/7 "2018-03-21T14:19:46Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Speak to the [Boultbee Flight Academy](http://www.boultbeeflightacademy.co.uk/spitfire-training). They do Spitfire training. It’s a snip at £54K. Plus VAT, of course. Their line about ‘not necessarily soloing’ suggests to me that if you get to the end of the training, are _really_ good, and still have a _pile_ of money at the ready, well there’s your solo opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919/8 "2018-03-21T21:54:57Z")
Have a go in a two-seater, but secretly poison the other guy so he dies right before takeoff…or after. whichever. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919/9 "2018-03-21T21:58:16Z")
It’s very easy to fly a Spitfire. Provided you’re really good with your [hands.](http://www.supermarineaircraft.com/our-aircraft) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919/10 "2018-03-21T22:33:19Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > It’s very easy to fly a Spitfire. Provided you’re really good with your [hands.](http://www.supermarineaircraft.com/our-aircraft) Those aren’t even good fakes. Look at the max speeds. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919/11 "2018-03-21T23:30:04Z")
Incidentally, there’s a Mk 26B on [eBay](https://www.ebay.com/itm/Supermarine-Aircraft-Mk26B/323144010290?hash=item4b3ce24a32:g:gu8AAOSw~89aj82o) for 100 kilobucks. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-fly-solo-in-a-spitfire-how-can-i-achieve-this/810919/12 "2018-03-22T08:15:58Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Have a go in a two-seater, but secretly poison the other guy so he dies right before takeoff…or after. whichever. Just don’t eat the fish.