57-year-old Spitfire to arrive on Wednesday

The Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIX is expected to arrive in Malta late on Wednesday afternoon. This world famous fighter type of World War Two will be giving aerial displays in Malta on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Spitfire's visit coincides with the celebrations being held in Malta to mark the 60th anniversary of the arrival of supplies as part of Operation Pedestal in August 1942. Over 90 Commonwealth pilots died in their Spitfires during 1942 alone, while defending Malta from the Nazi/Fascist attacks.

The Spitfire, which forms part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), is expected to leave its base at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire on Tuesday. Work on the aircraft's detailed flight plan started weeks ago. As the aircraft only flies on Avgas fuel, its flight planners had a difficult task to ensure that the Spitfire lands at those airfields where such fuel is available.

If everything goes as scheduled, the aircraft is expected to arrive at Malta's International Airport just before it gets dark on September 25.

The particular Spitfire that will be visiting Malta is the one carrying serial PM631. It has been flying for the past 57 years. It is also the longest serving aircraft with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

This aircraft did not see wartime action because it was delivered to the Royal Air Force in November 1945, as part of a batch of 124 Supermarine Spitfire XIXs delivered between May that year and May 1946.

The first unit to fly Spitfire PM631 was 203 Advanced Meteorological Work from May 1949. The aircraft was later modified for Short Brothers to be used by the Temperature-Humidity Monitoring (THUM) Flight based at Hooton-Park and Woodvale.

On July 14, 1957, Spitfire PM631 was flown to Biggin Hill where it became part of the Historic Aircraft Flight. This unit had two other Spitfire XIXs at the time, PS853 and PS915 along with a Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC (bomber version) LF363.

The Historic Aircraft Flight later became known as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Over the years the Flight expanded its fleet to include an Avro Lancaster B Mk I, more Spitfires and Hurricanes and a Dakota, among others.

Spitfire Mk XIX PM631 is similar to the one that was restored and is now on display at the Malta Aviation Museum at Ta' Qali, the airfield that hosted several RAF squadrons flying the Spitfires during World War Two.

The Maltese Spitfire, serial EN199 was professionally restored to its pristine beauty by a team of Maltese volunteers led by Ray Polidano, the director-general of the Malta Aviation Museum Foundation.