The de Havilland Chipmunk in which King Charles took his first solo flight in 1969 is still flying 57 years later. Known by its military serial WP903, the aircraft remains airworthy and is operated by a group of dedicated owners based at Old Warden in Bedfordshire.
A Historic First Solo Flight
On January 14, 1969, after 14 hours and 30 minutes of instruction, the future King climbed into this very de Havilland Chipmunk at RAF Bassingbourn for his first solo flight. The occasion almost never happened there, as Charles had been training elsewhere but poor weather forced a move to Bassingbourn, where conditions were suitable for the milestone flight. His instructor, Squadron Leader Philip Pinney of the Central Flying School, had judged him ready.
Charles went on to complete his Primary Flying Training later that year, accumulating more than 80 hours on the Chipmunk and earning his RAF Preliminary Flying Badge. Yet it is that first solo flight that remains the defining moment for most pilots.
An Enduring Legacy
Eighty years after the aircraft first took to the air, the de Havilland Chipmunk remains one of Britain's most beloved aeroplanes. More than 1,280 were built, with 735 entering Royal Air Force service. For generations of Air Cadets, University Air Squadron students and military pilots, it provided a first taste of flight and a first lesson in responsibility.
One of WP903's owners, airline pilot and military reservist Bob Brinkley, understands the aircraft's significance better than most. "All Chipmunks are lovely," he says. "But there's just something about 903." Then he pauses. "It puts a smile on my face every time I fly it. But it also focuses the mind. You're sitting on the King's chair."
Connecting Generations
Bob recalls flying his first display in the aircraft at Shuttleworth, only to find it featured on local BBC television news that evening. On another occasion he flew Philip Pinney himself, allowing the retired instructor to take to the air once more in the aircraft that helped launch a future King's flying career.
The aircraft's royal story did not end with Charles. In April 2008, WP903 reappeared at RAF College Cranwell during Prince William's RAF Wings Graduation Parade, linking two generations of the Royal Family through the same aeroplane.
Today, two Chipmunks remain in RAF service with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, where they are used to teach tailwheel handling to jet fighter pilots preparing to fly Hurricanes and Spitfires. In May, dozens of Chipmunks gathered at Halfpenny Green Airport near Wolverhampton to celebrate the type's 80th anniversary, with 21 aircraft taking part in a commemorative flypast over Broughton, where many Chipmunks were built, forming the shape of the number 80 in the sky.
