The legendary PA Spitfire MJ755 will fly in the Greek skies after 68 years, as it is scheduled to return to Greece on Thursday 27 May after undergoing a complete overhaul in the United Kingdom.

As Dimitris Kolias, vice-president of the “IKAROS” foundation, which financed the revamp of this unique aircraft on behalf of the Air Force, told the Athens News Agency, “on Tuesday 25/5, the Spitfire will depart from England and after flying through France, Italy will arrive in Greece on Thursday. It will make a landing in Corfu, then Ioannina and from there he will fly to Tatoi. In fact, when it enters Greek airspace, it will be accompanied by honorary fighter aircraft of the Air Force”.

“In total, it will fly for ten hours from England to Athens”, said Dimitris Kolias. “The aircraft will land in Tatoi at three o’clock on Thursday noon.”

The training of the Greek pilots, who will fly the aircraft on anniversary events “will start in June in the United Kingdom, because at the moment everything is closed there due to a pandemic”, concluded Kolias.

The MJ755 was delivered to the then Royal Hellenic Air Force on 27 February 1947 by the British Air Force (RAF) lieutenant George Dan. It was one of about 77 Spitfires provided by the British government for the rebuilding of the Greek Air Force. In April of that year, it had joined the 335th Squadron in Sedes. In 1949 it was used as a training aircraft at the Reserve Aviation School of Pilot Officers in Tatoi.

In 1950 it was transferred to the State Aircraft Factory in Faliro, where it was converted into a photographic reconnaissance plane. At the end of 1953, it made its last flight, before being permanently grounded, and used as a static exhibit first in Tatoi, and later in the courtyard of the War Museum. After the creation of the Air Force Museum, it was relocated to Tatoi in 1995, before being sent in 2018 to the historic Biggin Hill Airport outside London, to a special reconstruction center.