The world’s oldest Spitfire pilot

The extraordinary story of how one decorated veteran took to the skies again

Days before this magazine went to print, Jack Hemmings became, almost certainly, the oldest person in the world to fly a Spitfire – aged 102. Taking off from Biggin Hill Airport in southeast London, he was waved off by a crowd of reporters and British Royal Air Force dignitaries. By the end, he was airborne for 20 minutes. “I was surprised by how heavy the controls were,” he said, “But that’s probably because I’m just a bit rusty. It was rather bumpy up there, but the overall experience really was absolutely delightful.”