OE Alan Matlock (1961-1972) met Matt Jones (1987-1992) when he flew in to Southampton Airport to celebrate the first flight of the Spitfire that took place there on 5 March 1936. 
Matt, who flew Chipmunks with the RAF section of the CCF, has landed his dream job of chief pilot for the spitfires.com company that he co-founded and of which he is the managing director.
Alan, now retired from English teaching in France, Hampshire and Canada, has, for the last six years, been chair of the Southampton-based Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust.
The Spitfire Makers were at the airport terminal building for the unveiling of their 21st blue plaque to commemorate the locations in and around Southampton where Spitfires were being made. Matt had flown in the day before to join the celebrations with BBC Breakfast’s John McGuire in the passenger seat.
After the unveiling guests were invited to the private hanger where they met Matt and his Spitfire, painted in the colours of the original K5054 prototype and watched as private owner Mark Bennett flew his MkIX Spitfire in from Biggin Hill.
Mark carried out a flypast over the Southampton waterfront where a National Spitfire Memorial is set to be erected. At the end of the day, at the time when the first flight took place, Mark and Matt flew over the site of the original factory on the banks of the River Itchen. This time Matt had Tim Peake in the passenger seat.
The Supermarine factory site has recently been bought up by Landau Marine, a boat repair company, and the Spitfire Makers have been working with the new owners to emphasise the heritage of it.
Matt was due back at Southampton again (April 7) to fly the aircraft on a tour of Great Britain in a series of 9 flights – one for every decade of the 90 years being commemorated. An online auction has been held for the chance to fly with Matt and alongside various RAF aircraft. The successful bids range from around £10,000 to £25,001 for the first leg to RAF Coningsby, home of the Battle of 
Britain Memorial Flight. All of the proceeds will go to the Mark Long Trust and the RAF Benevolent Fund.
Meanwhile, Alan and the Spitfire Makers have their sights on more than twenty further blue plaques. Research continues to identify the places around the city where Spitfires were being made in secret after the main factories had been bombed out of action. Locations include a hotel, a parish hall a laundry and a number of garages.
Alan has given many of his popular “Building Spitfires Without a Factory” talks to local history groups, Rotary and Probus Clubs and schools.
You can find out more on https://spitfiremakers.org.uk/ or the Spitfire Makers Facebook page.
