Silver Spitfire pilot log week one: starry send-off propels record attempt into ice-cold skies
In the first of our video updates on the progress of the Silver Spitfire, pilots Matt Jones and Steve Brooks report from the ground and the air as they head into the Arctic Circle
Last week, the Silver Spitfire project took off from Goodwood with a daring challenge ahead: to complete the wartime aircraft's first ever circumnavigation of the globe.
Helming a restored and slightly modified Mark IX, pilots Matt Jones and Steve Brooks flew north, stopping first in Scotland, then Iceland. Earlier this week, they made it to the Arctic Circle, where the Spitfire's polished silver regalia echoed the pristine white of Greenland's extensive glacier.
In the video above, Jones and Brooks speak of their send-off from Goodwood, where various celebrities including Rosamund Pike turned out to salute the aeroplane; and the challenge of flying through variable weather conditions in the Highlands and beyond. On the way, they've received an escort from a fighter jet, and spent a night partying with rock band Kaleo.
"We've crammed a year's worth of stuff into this week," says chief pilot Matt Jones in the video. "It's exciting – amazing – to have the opportunity see our world like this."
So far, the duo have racked up approximately 14 hours of flight time, and landed at seven different airfields. In the coming weeks, they will be updating Telegraph readers on their adventure, as they head through North America and into the wilderness of western Russia.
The next Silver Spitfire pilot's log will be published at midday on Friday 23 August.
The Telegraph is the official media partner of Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight. To find out more about the project, visit telegraph.co.uk/silver-spitfire and silverspitfire.com
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