Classic Wings

Classic Wings is a family-run aviation experience company based at IWM Duxford Airfield near Cambridge, United Kingdom. It operates historic and former military aircraft, giving visitors the chance to fly in aircraft connected with aviation history. Its experiences include Spitfire flights, Tiger Moth lessons, Dragon Rapide flights and aerobatic flying. The company also provides Spitfire pilot training courses for people who want to understand how RAF pilots learned to fly.

Flying Historic Aircraft at Duxford

Classic Wings was formed around 25 years ago to provide pleasure flights for the public.

Its home is Duxford, an airfield built in 1918 as a training base for the newly formed Royal Air Force. Duxford later served as a fighter station for British and American forces during World War Two.

After the RAF departed in 1961, the airfield developed into a centre for restoring and flying historic aircraft.

Classic Wings operates aircraft connected with this history. The company restores and maintains its own aircraft and uses them for different flying experiences.

Visitors can experience aircraft that were once used for training, transport and military flying.

Spitfire Flights and Pilot Training

The Supermarine Spitfire is a central part of the Classic Wings programme.

Visitors can take an introductory flight in a two-seat Spitfire, with experiences including 30-minute and 40-minute flight options.

The company also runs Spitfire Pilot Training Days and other training packages.

These courses introduce participants to three aircraft types used in RAF pilot training during World War Two: the de Havilland Tiger Moth, North American T6 Harvard and Supermarine Spitfire.

Training includes ground instruction, pre-flight briefings and time in the aircraft.

The aim is to help participants understand the training needed to become a Spitfire pilot, rather than complete that training in a single day.

Other Flight Experiences

Classic Wings provides several ways to experience historic flying.

Its flight range includes:

• Tiger Moth flights and flying lessons
• Dragon Rapide flights
• Harvard flights with a Spitfire
• Wing-to-wing Spitfire experiences
• Aerobatic flights in a Bulldog
• Flights in a Supercub

These experiences suit visitors with different aviation interests, from open-cockpit flying to aerobatic manoeuvres.

Visiting IWM Duxford

Classic Wings flight vouchers include entry to IWM Duxford, while accompanying friends and family receive reduced admission.

The museum has 85 acres of exhibits, including Concorde, Spitfires, a Lancaster, Mustang, Blackbird and B17 Flying Fortress.

This allows visitors to combine a flight with time exploring aircraft on the ground.

For pilots and aviation fans, Classic Wings connects the history of military flying with the experience of being in a historic aircraft. Its flights and training days offer a closer look at the machines and skills associated with earlier generations of pilots.