Aerial Collective Duxford Reviews 

Our Spitfire formation flight was absolutely fabulous and confirmed what amazing machines they are. All the staff at Aerial Collective were excellent and the whole experience was wonderful. A special thank you to our pilots ‘Rats’ and Sam.

Peter and Diane

Wow! Having seen and heard other people's rave reviews about flying in a Spitfire I expected it to be good, but I was absolutely astonished and delighted at just HOW brilliant the whole experience was. Right from the start Jack and the colleagues at Aerial Collective were superb - from the booking all the way to the actual flight itself the professionalism and attention to detail were first class. Stu, my pilot on the day was the ultimate aviator, with thousands of hours of experience in several types. Lisa and Didz were the major cogs in the wheel of ground support and their friendly, invaluable attitude and knowledge were essential to the smooth running of the whole experience. Final words? Just do it; you'll remember it forever! Wow!

We had an amazing afternoon at Duxford watching my dad celebrate his 70th birthday with a spitfire ride. Lisa and Didz looked after us so well and really made the experience so memorable, with their expert knowledge on not only the spitfires but other planes on the airfield. They really made it a wonderful experience for everyone, being so welcoming and friendly (even managing to supply some tiny ear defenders for my 2 week old niece). Stu the pilot was great and tailored the flight to go over my dad's home making the experience even more special. The attention to detail in the waiting area, and the cute souvenirs given to my dad after the flight were lovely. Highly recommend Aerial Collective and even if you get the opportunity to just watch and not go in the flight do not pass on the offer, it was a great experience. Thank you so much aerial collective and Lisa, Didz and Stu for helping my dad tick one off his bucket list ☺️

A first class experience from all of the team at Aerial Collective. Professional & friendly from the get go, starting with the initial booking thru to the thorough safety briefing, orientation, and flying of the aircraft.

All of the ground crew were exceptional and my spitfire pilot John was a legend… the Aeros’ were superb & allowing me to manoeuvre the aircraft in the air was an honour, my cheeks ached from smiling for the rest of the day… The added bonus of having the flight recorded and available to take home and share with friends & family was a fabulous end to the experience too.

Thanks to all of the team at AC’ and especially John for being a top human and aviator… and who took the best photo of myself & Burt in front of the spitfire, which is now framed and has pride of place…

Having grown up living near Cambridge all my life, and being taken to see the filming of the Battle Of Britain at Duxford as a young lad by my late father, I have dreamt of flying in a Spitfire for ever. When my wife booked it for my 60th birthday I couldn't have been more excited. The professional manning in which Jack and the team kept us briefed of the timing and logistics took all of the stress away so we could concentrate on the main event. My Pilot Sam is superb. We had time to get to know each other as we waited for a break in the weather, which gave us time to plan our route, which included a fly past my mothers house, to her delight. I couldn't recommend the warm welcoming team at Aerial Collective Duxford more highly for making my school boy dream come true.

I’ve wanted to fly in a spitfire since I was 7yo, 30 years ago.
I did a lot of research and my criteria was: an actual warbird, I get to fly, and aerobatics. Aerial Collective ticked these boxes, plus they are the only ones that do a low initial and pitch/running break. They also came most recommended from a number of current and former RAF fighter pilots.
The actual experience was something very special and one that I will never forget. Jack did an excellent job. My pilot Rats and the other pilot of the day, Stumpy, were both great and made this much better than I could have imagined. Holly is as also great to cap off an awesome day. I can’t recommend these guys highly enough.

A fantastic experience....great help and friendly staff and star pilots

All four of us had a great day out at Aerial Collective, Duxford; especially me as I was the one flying in the Spitfire. The ‘ride’ was fabulous, this is a very solid plane, no flapping wings like on some airliners. The staff were very helpful, caring & attentive; all seem to enjoy the pleasure their customers get out of these very special events.
I enjoyed every minute of it, as the video of the flight shows, I believe.
I’ll start saving again and have a go in the Mustang in a couple of years.
I bought the White Cliffs of Dover experience & thoroughly recommend it.
My pilot was G.C. Will Hackett. Thanks Will, you were great too. Thanks for letting me at the controls, which everybody, are very responsive.

After a warm and friendly welcome at the reception, I was met by Didz and then Jack, who were both brilliant hosts and set the scene for one of the most wonderful and memorable experiences of my life a flight in Spitfire PT462. Whilst Jack took me through a thorough and informative briefing with calm authority and good humour, Didz looked after the family and me with an engaging personality, providing clear information on what we could expect and made sure everyone was happy and comfortable. Once I was suited and gloved, Didz settled me into the Spitfire, reminding me of the safety points and ensuring all the belts and buckles were secured. Handing over then to my Pilot Stu, who took time to establish what I was looking for from my experience, in a professional and calm demeanour enstilling confidence and adding to the atmosphere. The flight was all and more I could have wished for. Barrel rolls, spectacular views, informative chat and the opportunity to take the controls ensured the smile never left my face from take off to landing . The sounds and smells of this British icon transported me away to the dreams of a lifetime now fulfilled.
If you are looking for the experience of a lifetime, or a special gift for a loved one, then look no further than Aerial Collective, guaranteeing a fantastic day and memories that will last a forever. Thanks again to Jack, Didz and Stu for a really perfect day.

Incredibly grateful for such an opportunity. The work they are doing at Aircraft Restoration Company and Aerial Collective to keep these Spitfires flying is so important and to be able to experience this is truly unforgettable. My thanks goes to George Romain, who’s images provide such a beautiful insight into the work that goes on behind the scenes. The guy is insanely talented! His images drew me to Aircraft Restoration and Aerial Collective and, alongside Jack’s stunning marketing and communication, really made Aerial Collective stand out from the rest.

It could be easy to forget every other detail when the experience of flying in a spitfire is so overwhelming and captivating. Instead, my thanks goes to ‘Didz’ who’s welcome and briefing puts you at ease, and her manner, enjoyable conversations, friendliness and hospitality really demonstrated what a dedicated, passionate and caring team of people Aerial Collective are.

Stu the pilot was such a pleasure to meet and talk with…never mind being a phenomenal pilot! Getting to fly in formation really opened my eyes to the skill of these guys and it was great to see and share the passion he holds for flying these warbirds.

The flight itself was completely overwhelming yet so grounding to be able to experience a snapshot of being a Spitfire pilot. It’s flying in a Spitfire…pretty obviously that’s just awesome!

I can’t thank the team enough for working together to create an unforgettable experience for myself and everyone else. I never thought I’d be fortunate enough to get to experience flying in a Spitfire, yet I’m so pleased I trusted the team at Aerial Collective with what will be a lifelong memory. I’m just incredibly jealous that they get to repeat the same thing every day. I’d have given this 5 stars even just to sit in the corner of the hangar all day, listening to the engines and eating the cake!

Thank you doesn’t begin to cover it.

The Spitfire flight I had didn't disappoint - it was memorable in so many ways. I didn't think it possible that it could have exceeded my expectations that were already sky high (pardon the pun) but it did. It wasn't just the emotional high of being part of this amazing machine or the adrenaline from experiencing the raw power but it was the people who we met and invested so much of their time and enthusiasm in to making this event a truly once in a lifetime experience. I cannot praise them enough. I was treated like I was their very first customer as were the guests I bought along to share this moment. If you are considering booking a flight I would just offer one tip: Do it, and do it now.

Today I flew in the Hawker Hurricane.....Excellent!!!
Big thanks to Aerial Collective for making this possible.Thanks to Jack and the ground staff for their friendliness and professionalism and Stu the pilot....Top man!
You guys are the best.

Thank you to the team at Aerial Collective and John Romain for a great afternoon flying in a Harvard. Especially Jack McBride for organising it, John Gowdy for letting me drive 😂 and of course Lisa Waterfield for everything ♥️ 😀😀

A Spitfire flight has been a long time dream and yesterday Aerial Collective gave me an experience that was so far beyond my expectations. Firstly I must thank Jack for his reassuring presence in keeping things on track when my first flight was postponed due to weather.
He was there to greet us on arrival with a warm welcome looking after my family before I was handed over to the wonderful Lisa. She too was also very friendly and reassuring, running through the safety briefs, getting me kitted out and ensuring I was all safely strapped in and knew the drills.
And then there was my pilot. The very modest but unbelievably talented Willy Hackett. It was only when I got home that I looked him up and discovered what a career and record he has had. He took me through everything to expect and all the options available. As an amazing added bonus there was another Spitfire going up at the same time so we took off side by side. We then flew in formation, swapping positions so at times were just feet apart then we were directly under the other Spitfire. Thank you Jon Gowdy for playing your part in this.
We then parted company and I had my first of several goes at taking control of the plane. The Spitfire is so sensitive but yet so smooth in its responses and it was the greatest of joys to fly it despite having never flown a plane before.
Then Willy took over and we were in to dives, loops and rolls which were just incredible. The Spitfire made it all so graceful. We passed various airfields and other landmarks before heading back to Duxford where we did a low pass and another roll much to the delight of my family.
All of the flight was captured on tail and in cockpit cameras and thank you for Joe to handing me a goodie bag afterwards with my log book and a USB stick with all of my film footage.
My family were looked after really well with plenty of tea, coffee and cake which I also enjoyed on my return. It was also great to catch up with my fellow fliers and hear their experiences.
All in all Aerial Collective really do pull out all the stops to make it the most memorable day. I cannot thank you enough and will remember you always

Firstly, what an absolutely fantastic experience for my dads 80th birthday. To fly in a Spitfire was his childhood dream and along with Aerial Collective and the fantastic pilot, Stu, we made the dream become a reality. He had an amazing flight from the Duxford airfield, flying over some great local landmarks of his choice. We were able to see my dad from close proximity putting on his flight overalls and helmet, climbing up into the cockpit and being readied for his flight as well as a photo opportunity with the family when he landed. All the staff at Aerial Collective were so friendly and attentive and extremely professional from start to finish. We had the added bonus of HD cameras outside and inside the Spitfire enabling us to share the occasion following the flight. Once again a huge thank you to all that made the day possible and I would highly recommend this experience to anyone!

What a day!! Absolutely brilliant experience and one that will be very hard to beat. I would strongly recommend this experience to anyone with an interest in aviation, to be honest, even if you don’t it would be an unforgettable day!
Thanks too for all the staff at Aerialcollective for their professional service, nothing was too much trouble.
Kind regards to you all.
Ken.

The whole experience was wonderful from the ease of booking,the personal greeting on arrival,information of what was to happen,pre flight briefing and of course the flight itself.
The package included a visit to the main duxford museum together with a view of the ARC workshop.
My flight was in doubt due to the weather forecast but everything was done to try and ensure it took place .
Fully recommended.

Fantastic experience. Friendly and professional staff. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

We were treated like royalty from the moment we arrived for an amazing experience. We had plenty of time to look around the Imperial War Museum which hosts a myriad of iconic aircraft including Concorde, the USA Blackbird and a B52. Special mention must go to Lisa who worked tirelessly in the very hot weather conditions, ensuring everyone was looked after and comfortable, supplying cool drinks and even sun cream. I was lucky enough to fly with Group Captain Willy Hackett MBE, one of the nicest and unassuming people I have ever met. despite his amazing track record as a test pilot with the RAF. As I have a private pilots licence, Willy was happy for me to handle the controls for much of the flight, and I even got the flight entered in my log book - every pilot's dream! A truly amazing once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget!

A lifetimes dream come true. The team at Aerial Collective looked after the whole family, made us all feel welcome and gave my husband the best day of his life. Jon was a great pilot, he listened to what my husband wanted from the spitfire flight..no aerobatics!..and shared his knowledge and experience willingly.
I cannot say more than if you are thinking of going on a flight choose these guys they will ensure you have a day to remember.