Prince Harry Gave Up Spitfire Ride To Accommodate Vet | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.09.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.10.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Thu, Sep 17, 2015

Prince Harry Gave Up Spitfire Ride To Accommodate Vet

Had Been Scheduled To Fly In Battle Of Britain Commemoration

Prince Harry was supposed to have been among those flying in a vintage Spitfire airplane Tuesday during a commemorative fly-by marking the 75th anniversary of the Battle Of Britain.

It didn't work out that way, but for a very good reason.

About 40 aircraft, including Spitfires, Hurricanes, and Bristol Blenheim bombers took part in the fly-by Goodwood Aerodrome in West Sussex before dispersing to airfields around the country, and Prince Harry was to have been aboard one of the two-place Spitfires for the event, which was held on his 31st birthday, according to British media including the Telegraph newspaper.

But one of the Spitfires broke down and was unable to participate, and the Royal gave up his seat so that 95-year-old Tom Neil, a veteran of the Battle of Britain, former wing commander and Spitfire pilot, could have the honor instead. The Telegraph reports that Mr. Neil is the last living fighter ace from the battle in Britain.

The other seats in the two-place Spitfires had been promised to Nathan Foster, a former Parachute Regiment Private who was wounded by an IED in Helmand Province in Afghanistan in 2011, and RAF Corporal Alan Robinson, an aircraft technician who recently lost a leg in a motorcycle accident. Prince Harry said he wanted to be sure they had the opportunity to take part in the commemoration, so he stayed on the ground, occasionally leaning on a walking stick he was holding for Mr. Neil.

(Spitfire pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.battleofbritainmemorial.org/events

Advertisement

More News

NTSB Final Report: Aviat A1

Airplane Bounced About 3 Ft Then Touched Back Down And Then, With No Brakes Applied, The Airplane Began Veering To The Left Analysis: The pilot entered the airport traffic pattern >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.08.25)

Aero Linx: British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) The primary focus within all aviation activity is SAFETY. In all aspects of our sport SAFETY must come first, whether it b>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: Fly Corvair’s Reliable Engine Alternative

From SnF25 (YouTube Edition): William Wynne Builds Practical Aircraft Engines on the Corvair Platform Seeking an affordable alternative to the traditional aircraft engine options, >[...]

ANN FAQ: Contributing To Aero-TV

How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: CiES Fuel-Quantity and e-Throttle Systems Praised

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Bridge of CiES CiES Inc. is a Bend, Oregon-based designer and manufacturer of modular embedded aircraft systems and sensors. The company’s fuel-l>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC