World War Two Spitfire delivers message of thanks to NHS workers in NI hospitals

A World War Two Spitfire flew over 11 Northern Ireland hospitals yesterday to thank the NHS in its unwavering fight against Covid-19.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Having landed at City of Derry airport on Thursday, zooming past Causeway Hospital in Coleraine and Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry, pilot John Romain took the ‘Thank U NHS’ aircraft on the second part of its tribute flight yesterday morning.

The spitfire flew past hospitals in Craigavon, Armagh, Newry, Downpatrick, Lisburn, Antrim and Ards, as well as four locations in Belfast before landing at Newtownards airport.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Nigel Oates watched with pride as the Spitfire flew over Craigavon Hospital.

NHS Spitfire flyover of local hospitals.
The NHS Spitfire flies past crowds of people on Scrabo Tower in Newtownards after its flyover above the Ulster Hospital and the Newtownards Community Hospital. Photo by Simon GrahamNHS Spitfire flyover of local hospitals.
The NHS Spitfire flies past crowds of people on Scrabo Tower in Newtownards after its flyover above the Ulster Hospital and the Newtownards Community Hospital. Photo by Simon Graham
NHS Spitfire flyover of local hospitals. The NHS Spitfire flies past crowds of people on Scrabo Tower in Newtownards after its flyover above the Ulster Hospital and the Newtownards Community Hospital. Photo by Simon Graham

He said: “I was very honoured to be have been able to refuel a Supermarine Spitfire like the one that just flew over us. To hear the Rolls Royce Merlin engines again certainly brought back memories.”

Those memories come from the former RAF man’s time at RAF Coningsby, the home of the Battle of Britain Memorial flight, where he became part of the ground crew for the Spitfires there.

Nigel, who has lived in Northern Ireland for 21 years, currently in Portadown, said: “You just took for granted to be refuelling any other jets but to sit and watch [a Spitfire] go past and the next thing you’re actually over at it, you felt like you were back at the Battle of Britain times.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Commenting on the Supermarine Spitfire, Nigel said: “It’s a beautiful aircraft, to see and to hear – just wonderful.

“I’ve seen them alongside the modern aircraft, the jets that would be there like tornadoes and now typhoons.

“To see something that is dating back to the 1940s, I think everybody would rather turn their heads and look at that rather than any other RAF jets.”

He added: “In the hangar itself the equipment is perfectly kept. The [Spitfires] are treated with kids gloves and so they should be.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“They’re kept immaculate in every way, only certain people would be allowed to walk on the aircraft in soft shoes. You couldn’t have just any Tom, Dick or Harry clambering over them.”

The public are being offered the unique opportunity to nominate the name of a loved one that will be hand written onto the family-owned Aircraft Restoration Company’s Spitfire to raise money for NHS Charities Together.

The plane can accommodate 80,000 names of people nominated by the public as a way of recognising small acts of kindness throughout the Covid-19 pandemic such as a family member, a kind neighbour, close friend or community hero, Names can be nominated and donations can be made at the JustGiving.com/nhsspitfire fundraising page.