News by email Donate

Suggestions

Fr-Chris-Ingle-main_article_image.jpg
Diocese of Arundel and Brighton
World News

Church-goers send West Sussex priest on dream Spitfire flight

Fr Chris Ingle, the Parish Priest of St Michael's in the High Salvington area of Worthing enjoyed a "flight of a lifetime" on-board a Spitfire to celebrate a "big birthday."

He said: "It was a moving experience to fly in such a graceful and historic aircraft."

Parishioners felt prompted to organise a collection for Fr Chris two years ago.

Once airborne, Fr Chris was able to assume controls of the aircraft and take advantage of the bright weather as he soared above Biggin Hill Aerodrome in Bromley.

He was once a fast jet pilot with the Royal Air Force.

Referring to the aerobatic manoeuvre, Fr Chris added: "Completing a couple of victory rolls was the icing on the cake!"

He was accompanied in the two-seater plane with a qualified instructor.

Fr Chris flew a MK IX Spitfire, a machine built at Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands. It entered service in September 1944, twelve months before the conclusion of World War Two.

His friends hired an observational aircraft to fly in formation with the Spitfire and to capture the remarkable journey on video.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference

In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.

Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.

For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.

Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.

Support Us
Continue the conversation on our Facebook page

Related Articles

Sign up to our newsletter to stay informed with news from a Christian perspective.

News by email

Connect

Donate

Donate