A series of commemorative flights will take place across the UK this week to mark 90 years since the first flight of the Supermarine Spitfire, including Cardigan Bay.
Working with Spitfires.com, the Royal Air Force is supporting a nationwide tour by a two-seat Spitfire painted to represent the original prototype K5054.
Members of the public will have the opportunity to bid for a seat in the aircraft as it travels between airfields across the UK.
The first Spitfire flight took place on 5 March 1936, when test pilot Joseph 'Mutt' Summers flew prototype K5054 from what is now Southampton Airport.
The flight lasted around eight minutes. After landing, Summers is reported to have said: “Don’t change a thing.”
The aircraft would go on to become one of the most recognised fighters of the Second World War and an enduring symbol of British aviation.

The aircraft will undertake a series of flights between 7 and 17 April 2026, visiting RAF stations and airports associated with the Spitfire’s history.
Nine flights will take place, each representing a decade of the aircraft’s service and legacy.
The spitfire will pass through Cardigan Bay on Tuesday, 14 April, travelling from RAF Valley to MOD St Athan.
It is expected to leave RAF Valley at around 10am and follow the coast.
The spitfire will be joined on this section of the tour by a Jupiter HT-1 helicopter.
The event will also raise funds for two important charities: the Mark Long Trust, which supports disabled individuals in aviation, and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, which provides vital assistance to serving and former RAF personnel and their families.





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