By Elliott Marsh
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) at RAF Coningsby, Lincs, resumed operation of its single-engine Merlin-powered fighter fleet on Friday, 14 March 2025, following a near 10-month grounding.
The BBMF’s Spitfires Mk II, V and XVI, and its pair of Hawker Hurricane Mk IIcs, were temporarily grounded and investigations carried out following the loss of Spitfire Mk IX MK356 and its pilot, Squadron Leader Mark Long, in a crash on 25 May 2024. The first to resume operations is Spitfire Mk XVI TE311, which has been adorned with fictitious ‘L-NG’ codes on its starboard side as a tribute to Sqn Ldr Long. His name and Squadron Leader’s pennant have also been added beneath its cockpit. The port side retains 322 (Dutch) Squadron markings and the codes ‘3W-M’.
With the BBMF’s Dakota ZA947 having emerged from the Aircraft Restoration Company in a new SEAC scheme earlier this year following a near two-and-a-half year major overhaul, the Flight is back to full strength ahead of what is likely to be a busy year as the UK marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day and the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, with significant commemorations planned across the UK throughout the year.
