Despite the many hardships we have all endured this past year, 2021 did hold a number of positives for those of us with a passion for vintage aviation; this includes the return of major air shows, not to mention significant progress and even first flights for a number of restoration projects. We at WarbirdsNews have endeavored to keep our readers informed of as many developments as possible, with exclusive reports of major milestones in the warbird and aviation museum community. Although we couldn’t cover everything, it has been a remarkable year of growth for us. We are always looking for new leads, as well as writers/photographers who are able to provide coverage. With your help, we can have an even better 2022!
As noted in late November, Supermarine Spitfire F Mk.IX MH603 was fast approaching the conclusion of its down-to-the-last-rivet rebuild at Vintage Fighter Restorations (VFR) in Scone, New South Wales, Australia. We can now report, via our colleagues at WarbirdsOnline and Aviation Spotters Online that the fighter made her first post-restoration flights on Saturday, December 11th. Veteran warbird pilot, Stephen Death was at the controls for the initial 20 minute hop, joined in the air by Paul Bennet who flew chase duties in Ross Pay's CAC-built Mustang Mk.21 A68-107.