Silver Spitfire: The Longest Flight

This is a truly astounding and high quality production: the camera work, the talks to camera, the recounting of events and experiences, ups and downs in undertaking the global journey and setting a unique world record. It was not only a pleasure to watch, it was also very emotional and moving; a fitting tribute to Ben Uttley's professional role and to the whole team, especially the pilots and support team for the achievement; and a tribute to all those who sacrificed their lives flying the Spitfire in conflict. But these words are not adequate to sufficiently praise the film's recording of the efforts by everyone in completing the project from GIRTY's restoration to the return home landing at Goodwood in December 2019.

The film is inspirational on so many levels to so many people and above all keeps the Spitfire legend alive. If he were alive today, its designer RJ Mitchell would have been astounded. Pardoning the allusion, in the context of Mitchell saying of Vickers Supermarine that Spitfire was "just the sort of bloody silly name they would choose" he might have observed of the team's proposal for the Longest Flight project as "just the sort of bloody silly thing they would do". But "they" did, and they succeeded beyond even their wildest dreams!