Second World War veterans fulfil Spitfire dream at Biggin Hill
Second World War veterans, including 100-year-old Alfred Cooley, flew in a Spitfire over Kent after a veterans charity granted their wish.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Second World War veterans have fulfilled a long-held wish by flying in a Spitfire at Biggin Hill airfield. A veterans charity granted the flights to former servicemen who had always wanted to experience the aircraft.
Among those taking part was 100-year-old light infantryman Alfred Cooley. He said he wanted to go up but admitted he did not like flying, and he said he did not know what was coming but was going to do it. Another veteran, aged 99, said people at home would not believe he was going up in a Spitfire.
The Spitfire engines started at Biggin Hill, a site that was a key RAF base in the Battle of Britain 86 years ago. RAF pilots based there saw off the German aerial assault. The Spitfire was described as one of the most effective weapons of the hour.
The veterans, including Paul, Ivan and Alfred, followed in the vapour trails of their RAF comrades for half an hour, soaring through the skies above Kent. After landing, one said the experience was brilliant and that he would do it again. Asked for the best part, he remembered the aircraft turning its wings and going down.
The event also served as a tribute to those who did not return. One veteran said the pomp and ceremony should be measured against the many who did not make it and gave their all. The flight came a lifetime after the men played their parts in freeing Europe from tyranny, and their service was marked with a trip in the aircraft that began the fight back.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A veterans charity arranged for veterans to fly in a Spitfire for half an hour over Kent. | |
| Biggin Hill was a key base in the Battle of Britain 86 years ago. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 made the item a warm human-interest closer, putting the veterans' personal memories and emotions at the centre. The tone was respectful and celebratory, with the Spitfire and Biggin Hill treated as symbols of wartime sacrifice. It did not name the charity or give technical details about the flight, and it used the story mainly to honour the men and the RAF.
- “I want to go up, but, you see, I don't like flying, so I don't know what's coming, but I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it.”
- “At my age, you'd never think about what would happen. You'd think it's 99 going up in the Spitfire.”
- “All this pomp and ceremony we're getting, it's not an acid, it's loads that didn't make it, gave their all.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.