Captain Tom’s Spitfire flypast is cancelled
Social distancing concerns mean the charity hero’s 100th birthday spectacular cannot go ahead as planned
CAPTAIN Tom Moore’s Spitfire flypast to mark the fundraising hero’s 100th birthday has been cancelled amid fears it will draw crowds.
The planned flight by a restoration company of a lone Spitfire over Capt Moore’s house in Marston Moretaine, Beds, will not now be going ahead on Thursday. Officials in the Department for Transport have deemed the proposed sortie as non-essential travel and are concerned publicity over the flight would draw too many spectators.
The flight, which would also have marked Capt Moore’s success in raising £29 million for the NHS by walking laps of his garden, would have seen a Mark 9 Spitfire named The Spirit of Kent fly overhead at about 500ft and around 250mph.
Instead, the company behind the gesture will fly a circuit of Biggin Hill airfield in The Spirit of Kent at 8pm on Capt Moore’s birthday to coincide with the weekly “Clap for our carers” event that has become a feature of the UK’S lockdown. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph from the front cockpit of a Spitfire, Alex Monk of the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, said they were still able to fly in the air traffic zone (ATZ) around the airfield without needing permission. The flight on Thursday evening will, for part of the circuit, go over the Princess Royal University Hospital, just on the edge of Bromley, which is inside the five-nautical mile diameter ATZ around Biggin Hill airfield.
“That way they can see a Spitfire and we can do a salute to the people of the NHS. We’re going to try and do something as a clap for the NHS and it happens to be on Tom’s birthday, which will be nice. Fingers crossed we’ll gun for that.”
Mr Monk said the Spitfire will not be carrying out any aerobatics, as the Civil Aviation Authority has strict rules about flying displays, but The Spirit of Kent may show the hospital a little “wing waggle – the aviation equivalent of tipping one’s hat. The aircraft has been drained of stale fuel and is undergoing light maintenance in anticipation of the flight. Mr Monk said the company had appealed to the Department for Transport for clarification over the proposed flight at Capt Moore’s house and was told on Friday that the sortie could not go ahead. The CAA said it would be content for the flight to take place, but only with the agreement of the Department for Transport.
“It’s not black white,” Mr Monk
The Telegraph, “but could be frowned upon if we just did it without giving a heads-up”. Despite the disappointment, Mr Monk said the company had offered a flight to Capt Moore on September 15.
“If it’s safe to do so, we’ll fly him in one of the two-seater Spitfires. That’s still something nice for him to look forward to. I think he’d appreciate that.”
The news comes as Royal Mail has said it will stamp all letters up until Friday with a special message to celebrate Captain Tom’s 100th birthday: “Happy 100th Birthday Captain Thomas Moore NHS fundraising hero 30th April 2020.”