I hope you are all keeping safe and well and continuing to enjoy your links to historic aviation through the pages of FlyPast. This month's cover story reminds me that - for diehard aviation fans and non- enthusiasts alike - there is nothing quite like the sight and sound of a Supermarine Spitfire to stir the soul. It's the iconic type that almost anyone in the UK can identify and stands for so much. And it is this special status that makes it the perfect focal point for a new fundraising initiative organised by the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo), based at Duxford, to support NHS Charities Together. The operator's flawless (and recently refurbished) Spitfire PR.XI, simply and affectionately known as % will perform flypasts at various hospitals in the UK in the coming weeks, and the public can pay to nominate NHS staff, or indeed anyone they feel has helped during the COVID-19 pandemic - to have their names written on the aircraft. It's a spirit-lifting and highly appropriate way for us to help raise vital funds. Another burst of optimism this month comes with the news that Headcorn, Kent-based Aero Legends, which had to postpone its June airshow, has announced new dates for the Battle of Britain event this September. And by the time these words are read, The Shuttleworth Collection will have hosted a drive-in airshow - demonstrating that a little ingenuity (and careful accordance with social distancing rules) can get us back to seeing beautiful vintage aircraft where they belong... in the air.
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