RAAF certifies two pilots on heritage Spitfires

The Royal Australian Air Force has certified two pilots to fly the Supermarine Spitfire, the World War II fighter that remains in service with its heritage squadron.

Flight Lieutenants Luke Kempton and Lars Larson finished conversion training at the Temora Aviation Museum in New South Wales, the service said. The museum hosts two of the three airworthy Spitfires left in Australia, according to the RAAF.

The training was overseen by Flight Lieutenant Stephen Death, who has flown Spitfires for more than two decades. He said the squadron needs an ongoing cycle of instruction so that today's students become the mentors of the next generation.

Both new pilots are military reservists who fly commercially. Larson captains Boeing 787 Dreamliners for Qantas and described the Spitfire as a mix of cables, rudders, fabric, timber and metal, with an engine producing a great deal of power.

The historic fleet is operated by the Air Force Heritage Squadron, known as 100SQN, from Temora and RAAF Base Point Cook outside Melbourne, where the RAAF Museum is located. The aircraft was built in the United Kingdom, and the certification comes eight decades after the type left the assembly line.