PA Spitfire MJ755 returns on Thursday 27th May to Greece after a full rebuild to airworthy condition in the UK, to once again take to the Attic skies where it last flew 68 years ago. /em>
As stated by Mr. Dimitris Kolias, vice-president of the "IKAROS" foundation, which financed the reconstruction of this unique plane on behalf of the Air Force, "on Tuesday 25/5 the Spitfire leaves England and after flying through France, Italy it will arrive in Greece on Thursday. It will make a landing in Corfu, then Ioannina and from there fly to Tatoi. In fact, when it enters Greek airspace, it will be escorted by Air Force fighter jets.
"In total, he will fly for ten hours from England to Athens", emphasizes Mr. Dimitris Kolias. "The aircraft will land in Tatoi at three in the afternoon on Thursday", adds the vice-president of the "IKAROS" foundation. The training of the Greek pilots, who will fly the aircraft in anniversary events, "will start in June in the United Kingdom, because at the moment everything is closed there due to the pandemic", concludes Mr. Dimitris Kolias.
MJ755 had been delivered on 27 February 1947 to the then Royal Hellenic Air Force by British Air Force (RAF) Lieutenant Commander George Dunn. It was one of about 77 Spitfire fighters, given by the British government for the reconstitution of the Greek Air Force. In April of that year he had joined the force of the 335th Pursuit Squadron in Sedes. In 1949 he was used as an instructor at the Air Reserve Pilot Officer School in Tatoi.
In 1950 it was transferred to the State Aircraft Factory in Faliro, where it was converted into a photo ID. At the end of 1953 it made its last flight, before being permanently fixed to the ground, and used as a static exhibit first in Tatoi, and later in the yard of the War Museum. After the creation of the Air Force Museum, it was moved again to Tatoi in 1995, before being sent in 2018 to the historic Biggin Hill Airport outside London, to a special reconstruction centre.
SOURCE:APE-ME