Will Get Checked Out In Type At Boultbee Flying Academy

When you've got the money ... why not? Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt has reportedly dropped $3.3 million on an original Spitfire after landing his role in the WWII movie 'Fury' which is currently being filmed.

The Irish Examiner newspaper reports that Pitt developed a "fascination with WWII" while preparing for the role, and that inspired him to purchase the Spitfire. A source told the U.K. Newspaper The Sun that he had done everything from sleeping in trenches to learning to drive a tank to before filming began, and now he's bought himself a big-boy toy. Maybe we'll see him in the Warbirds area at Oshkosh this summer.

The Examiner reports that Pitt will be learning to fly the airplane at Boultbee Flight Academy in Oxford. Boultbee would not confirm that Pitt would be a student pilot there, but a spokesman said "we have high-profile people. The Spitfire is very popular with wealthy individuals."

Boultbee says on its website "We passionately believe that part of our role as custodians of a Spitfire is to ensure that it continues to grace the skies over the United Kingdom. Our aim at the Boultbee Flight Academy is to keep the memories of a part of our proud British past and heritage alive, whilst also maintaining the engineering and piloting skills required to operate historic warbird aircraft into the future. We feel that the only way to continue to achieve this is to allow the experience to be enjoyed by as many pilots as possible."

If you've got a few pence to spare ...

(Spitfire pictured in file photo. Not Pitt's airplane)

FMI: www.boultbeeflightacademy.co.uk