Paul Shakespeare
Paul Shakespeare
Spitfire Pilot
About Paul
Shakey was mad about aviation – and particularly Spitfires – from a very early age.
He joined the Air Cadets aged 13. And after an RAF Sponsorship through Southampton University, he joined the RAF and completed pilot training in the USA on the T-37 and T-38. After two tours flying the Tornado in RAF Germany and Scotland, he completed an exchange tour in Canada flying the CF-18 Hornet.
Shakey completed the year-long Test Pilot School course in France in 2002/03. This was followed by 2 tours on the Fast Jet Test Squadron (FJTS) at Boscombe Down, test flying the Tornado and Jaguar, and also flying the Hawk and Alpha Jet. He was the last Commanding Officer of FJTS, from 2007 – 2010.
Shakey left the RAF in 2010 and joined QinetiQ. Here, he became the head of flying and senior pilot. And he led a transformation programme to modernise the Empire Test Pilots’ School at Boscombe Down.
For many years, Shakey was a volunteer Air Experience Flight pilot training the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. And he has a part share in a Jodel light aircraft.
He’s been a Shuttleworth Collection display pilot since 2007. And in 2026, he was appointed as the Shuttleworth Chief Pilot.
Shakey’s been flying professionally for nearly 40 years and has flown over 100 different types of aircraft, including numerous WWI and WWII warbirds.
