LONDON – A former Royal Air Forces pilot has taken to the skies in a Spitfire at 102 years old.
Jack Hemmings, an ex-squadron leader with Britain’s air force, is believed to be the oldest pilot to fly the World War II plane. His 20-minute flight, from an airfield in southern England on Monday, was to raise money for a charity he co-founded nearly 80 years ago.
The veteran — who had never flown a Spitfire before — said it was “absolutely delightful” being back behind the controls, though he said the ride was “very bumpy.”
“To be honest, it felt a bit rusty. Not surprising I am rusty,” he said.
Hemmings was raising funds for Mission Aviation Fellowship, a humanitarian air service he helped launch after WWII alongside D-Day veteran Stuart King. The organization has since grown into a Christian organization that uses planes to deliver relief, medicine and emergency …