SINCE she was five years old, Eirwen Quinney has always wanted to fly in a Spitfire and her dream came true last month as she was surprised with a 20-minute flight in the iconic World War II plane.
Eirwen, who is now 83 and living in Melksham, first saw the Spitfire when she was five years old, when it flew over her house when she was living in London.
Eirwen said, “I remember looking up at the sky and thinking ‘wow’ what an amazing plane. Ever since then, I’ve always wanted to fly in one. I would see them on the TV and drool. I never expected it would happen though.
“I knew you could go to America and France to fly in one as a passenger but it was too expensive. It wasn’t legal in the UK so I sort of forgot about it. Then Peter, my husband said he had a belated birthday surprise for me. We drove to Tatsfield and stayed the night in a lovely hotel, The Bakery and Rooms, and I still didn’t have a clue what was going on. Peter just told me to pack something comfortable to wear – I wouldn’t need a ball gown, not that I have one!
“Then at dinner, Peter handed me an envelope with all the details about what I was going to be doing the next day. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know that they’d been given permission to fly with passengers. I had to read all the safety information and learn about what was going to happen. I was so excited.
“We went to Biggin Hill and again went through all the safety aspects and I put on the flight suit, ear protectors and helmet. I was ready to go!
“Beforehand I was shaking inside with excitement and maybe a touch of nerves, but I had no intention of backing out. The whole experience was fantastic, it was everything I dreamed it would be. It wasn’t very bumpy which I was surprised at. No more so than driving into pot holes around Melksham!
“My pilot, Peter Monk was brilliant and I felt very safe. I gave him a big hug at the end, I was so grateful.
Eirwen’s son Allan also went for the day to see his mum go up in Spitfire. He said, “She was grinning like a Cheshire cat. It was fantastic, she is very much enjoying telling everyone about it.”
Eirwen continued, “How my husband managed to keep it all from me, I’ll never know. He’s not managed to keep a lot of things from me over the years. Having four sons, you become very inquisitive, so he did very well to keep it a secret.
“We’ve been married 61 years now and had a few trials and tribulations, but he is still as wonderful as the day I married him. He still surprises me every day.”
