Jimmy Hanson
Jimmy Hanson
Spitfire Pilot
About Jimmy
Despite not coming from a flying family, Jimmy developed a passion for vintage aeroplanes from a young age.
As a child, he spent his pocket money on flying magazines and Airfix models. And his parents regularly took him to airshows. In fact, he wanted to become a pilot for as long as he can remember.
His first flying experience came at the age of 13 as an Air Cadet, when he flew in a Bulldog from RAF Church Fenton. At 16, he earned a gliding scholarship. And by 17, he had become an Air Cadet gliding instructor.
Jimmy spent weekends flying Air Cadets in motor gliders – but his father still had to drive him home as he didn’t yet have a driving licence!
Jimmy obtained his Private Pilot’s Licence at 18 and worked at Sheffield airport for a local flying school, exchanging his services for flying hours and enough income to support himself. By the age of 21, he’d achieved a frozen Air Transport Pilot Licence (fATPL) and a flying instructor rating. Over the following two years, he worked as both a survey pilot and a flying instructor.
He was then fortunate to secure a position flying business jets, operating the HS125 and Challenger 601 across Europe, the Middle East and Africa for the next 8 years. Later, he transitioned to airline flying and returned to the UK, initially operating the Boeing 757-200 for a British carrier, followed by the 737-300. He now serves as a Captain on the Boeing 737-800 with the same airline.
Jimmy remains an active flying instructor and examiner, holding qualifications that include tailwheel, aerobatic, and Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT). He owns a single-seat Extra 230, which he regularly flies in the skies over Yorkshire.
His path to flying the Spitfire developed through extensive experience with a wide variety of tailwheel aircraft, including the Chipmunk, Stearman, Tiger Moth, Harvard, Pitts Special and Extra series. For Jimmy, flying the Spitfire represents the undisputed highlight of his aviation career. And he considers it a genuine privilege to share the experience with others (while enjoying it just as much himself!).
