Spitfire Pilot’s Remarkable Feat

Northern Advocate, 17 November 1941, Page 5

Spitfire Pilot’s Remarkable Feat

[British Official Wireless 1 (Rec Noon.) RUGBY, November IG. A remarkable storv of how a Spitfire pilot, flying at 300 miles an hour close to the surface of the sea yesterday. was able to detach his rubber dinghy and throw it to a comrade in the water was told by the pilot today. The collapsible rubber dinghy carried by a fighter pilot is attached to the parachute pack, and also to the pilot’s kit by a cord. The pilot uses the packed dinghy as a cushion, and the dinghy can be easily and quickly inflated once the pilot releases the parachute, and the cord keeps it floating near the'pilot in the water until he has time to climb into it. The Impossible Achieved The pilot’s seat in the fighter is so small that he can hardly move his body, and it was thought impossible for a pilot to detach his dinghy while in his aircraft. This is how the Spitfire pilot did it yesterday when he saw a comrade swimming in the water. He undid all complicated straps, thus releasing the parachute and safety harness. Then he stood up and pushed him-, self over as far as he could squeeze to the right hand side of the cockpit, controlling his aircraft just above the wave tops with his right hand and foot. A Ticklish Task With his free hand he gradually worked the dinghy and parachute up his left side and flew along at 50 feet over the spot where his friend was in the water. As he passed, he held the dinghy high in the air and let it fly out of his hand. Ho slipped the parachute back under him and fastened the harness. He was then attacked, without suffering damage, by a German fighter from astern, and was unable to see if his comrade reached the dinghy.