September 15, 2018, Schaffhausen-Schaffhausen IWC supports ‘Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight’ as the main sponsor Long flight) expedition. Next summer, a finely-repaired silver-chromium spitfire will take off from London to begin a journey around the world. The aircraft, built in 1943, will fly more than 43,000 kilometers on a multi-month expedition with a track of about 30 countries. This journey around the world aims to pay tribute to the iconic British aircraft for its quintessential aesthetic design and unparalleled engineering. The expedition is the wisdom of Steve Boultbee-Brooks and Matt Jones, the founders of the Boultbee Flight Academy (headquartered in Goodwood Estate) in Fort England. IWC will establish a long-term cooperative relationship with this first officially recognized Spitfire Flight Academy.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Spitfire Chronograph (Model: IW377719)
IWC has more than 80 years of pilot watch manufacturing history. Before that, it even created several special commemorative models for Spitfire fighters. The brand’s focus on this project once again proves the Swiss watchmaker’s unwavering enthusiasm for the aviation industry. In addition, the innovative engineering and aesthetic design features of the Spitfire are also reflected in this masterpiece of Schaffhausen watch design. ‘Spitfire is more representative of human flight dreams than any other aircraft. She is a masterpiece of engineering design. Her birth is ahead of her era, and she is brilliant with iconic design. The idea of a fighter flying around the world was immediately drawn to this ambition. We are very excited to help this expedition, ‘said Christoph Grainger, CEO of IWC. -Herr).
At the same time, IWC also announced that it will launch a cooperation with the Bertby Flying Academy for several years. Co-founded by pilots Steve Boultbee-Brooks and Matt Jones, the Academy is the world’s first officially recognized Spitfire Flight Academy. ‘IWC Schaffhausen shares the same aviation enthusiasm with us, as much as we love and appreciate Spitfire. We know that finding the right partner can make our vision of global flight a reality,’ Matt Jones Means.
IWC Schaffhausen supports Spitfire fighter SILVERSPITFIRE flying around the world _ drawn by French artist Romain Hugault
A model of flying around the world
The Spitfire marked MJ271 was built in 1943 at Castle Bromwich. The aircraft is being carefully maintained. Every component is carefully hand polished to give a shiny sheen, giving the body a dazzling silver look. The public will have the opportunity to see the fighter’s rejuvenation for the first time in the spring of 2019, when she will be renamed ‘Silver Spitfire’.
This round-the-world flight will set sail from England next summer. The first voyage will pass through Canada and then into the United States. This route will prevent the expedition flight team from encountering excessively harsh weather conditions while passing the Arctic Circle, but rather a relatively mild environment. The subsequent route was to fly to India via Southeast Asia, then over the Middle East, and finally return to Europe. Throughout the flight, ‘Silver Spitfire’ will also land in several countries that have never before landed on such a runway.
The French artist Romain Hugault, known for his aviation-themed illustrations, will fly with Spitfire throughout the journey, recording the expedition artistically. Hugault himself holds a pilot’s license and can often see him flying his 1942 Piper L4 aircraft. He is an excellent illustrator for the widely recognized classic aviation theme.
Boulderby Flying Academy
The Boultbee Flight Academy is the world’s first Spitfire professional training organization and a licensed Spitfire flight supplier. Its owners are British pilots Matt Jones and Steve Boultbee-Brooks. The Burntby Flying Academy offers Spitfire experience flights, provides non-professional pilots with an innovative Spitfire flight simulator driving experience, and provides Spitfire fighter driving training to licensed professional pilots. The Bottby Flight Academy offers flight and flight driving experiences in more and more parts of the UK. The college is headquartered at Goodwood Aerodrome, West Sussex, England, next to the white cliffs of Beachy Head and the Needles-this means Spitfire flight experience can be built around one of the most iconic sights on the UK’s South Coast. Through the cooperation with Schaffhausen IWC, Matt Jones and Steve Boultbee-Brooks turned their dream of flying around the world with the original Spitfire into the reality of ‘Silver Spitfire-The Longest Flight’ expedition flight.