Spitfire Scramble

Photographers are often so keen to get that ‘perfect image’ that the moment can pass them by, or at the least it’s diluted by the very act of looking through a lens.  I have been guilty of this occasionally myself.
Today however, although I did take photos, there was a point where I put my camera down and absorbed what was happening around me.
M and I went to the ‘Meet the Fighters’ air show at Imperial War Museum, Duxford.  Nearly four hours long, we were treated to a large selection of aircraft ranging from those used in The Great War, WWII, and right up to jets used during the cold war.
The most poignant moment for us though, was the site and sound of 14 Spitfires taking to the skies together.  The commentary was stopped as we took in the sight and sound of those 14 Merlin engines, as the fighters took off together.  They flew past us in formation and then split off and flew all over the sky, re-creating what must have been experienced by many during WWII as they looked skyward.
It’s difficult to put into words how it made us feel, although it was wonderful, it really brought it home the sacrifices made by those brave young men all those years ago, which enabled us to enjoy the freedom we take for granted today.
 
It is a very well known quote...but so true.
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. Winston Churchill