Spitfire Lady Ellen III Takes to the Skies from Tatenhill Airport

There are some sounds that stop you in your tracks. The rumble of a classic steam engine. The whistle of a heritage railway. And then there is the unmistakable roar of a Spitfire engine.

Yesterday we headed to Tatenhill Airport to watch Lady Ellen III, 1944 VIII Trainer - MT818, one of the iconic Spitfires operated by Fly a Spitfire, take to the skies for a weekend of flights that had already been receiving rave reviews from visitors on Saturday.

This year also carries special significance, marking the 90th anniversary of the Spitfire's very first flight. Nine decades on from that maiden journey into the skies, the aircraft remains one of Britain's most recognisable symbols of engineering, innovation and wartime history.

For Staffordshire, the story carries an even closer connection. The legendary aircraft was designed by Reginald Joseph Mitchell, better known as R.J. Mitchell, the brilliant aeronautical engineer born in Butt Lane, Staffordshire. His creation would go on to become arguably the most famous fighter aircraft of the Second World War and remains one of Britain's greatest aviation achievements.

Nestled in the Staffordshire countryside near Burton upon Trent, Tatenhill Airport has its own fascinating history. Originally built during the Second World War as RAF Crossplains, the airfield trained bomber crews before later evolving into the civilian airport visitors know today. While Spitfires were never based there historically, its RAF roots make it feel like the perfect place to experience one of Britain's most famous aircraft in flight.

We visited on Sunday morning and arrived just in time to watch the first Spitfire take off at around 9am. Seeing one on the ground is impressive enough, but watching it thunder down the runway and lift into the Staffordshire sky is something else entirely.

Afterwards, we headed into Cafe26 for what turned out to be a brilliant Captain's Breakfast. The café quickly became one of the best viewing spots of the day because after the Spitfire landed, it taxied right past the windows.

Not long afterwards we watched the second flight prepare for take off from the café garden, waving to the lucky passenger as they rolled past towards the runway.

Curiosity got the better of us, so while watching online flight tracking we noticed both routes crossing over Blithfield Reservoir. That sent us on an impromptu Staffordshire adventure.

The 800 acre reservoir sits within the Blithe Valley and seemed worth the gamble. We jumped in the car and headed over, hoping we'd timed it right. We had.

The third flight did not simply pass overhead. Instead, the skies above suddenly turned into an unforgettable display. Lady Ellen III swept overhead before launching into a series of aerial manoeuvres.

I am absolutely no expert and cannot promise I have the names right, but from where we stood there were loops, Spitfire Victory Rolls and all sorts of incredible movements unfolding against the Staffordshire sky.

Whatever they officially were called, they looked amazing.

There is something surreal about seeing an aircraft so tied to Britain's history performing in the modern skies above places you know so well. One moment you're standing beside a Staffordshire reservoir and the next you're looking up watching a Spitfire twist and roar overhead.

Photos: Natalee Trowbridge / The Staffordshire Signal