Corcadal | Bill agus an Spitfire

Bill Innes will be 90 this year and to celebrate, wants to fulfil a childhood dream and lifelong ambition to fly a Spitfire.

Bill first saw a Spitfire flying overhead in Glencoe in 1940 when he was 7 years old. Filled with hero worship for the daring pilots of the Battle of Britain, he”dreamt of roaming the clouds in such a thrilling machine”.

Sadly his father died suddenly later that year. His mother, left to bring up two boys in an isolated cottage on a tiny pension, became mentally unwell and was admitted to hospital. Bill and his brother were fostered to a family in South Uist where Bill spent the rest of his childhood.

His fascination with flying continued throughout his life. As a student, he was selected to join the RAF air reserve squadron and to his delight, when the time came for him to do National Service, he was accepted for pilot training in the RAF. Bill went on to achieve his dream of becoming a pilot, a job he loved and found exciting and fulfilling.

Bill became a pilot when travelling by air was a glamorous affair, and although he spent his working life flying different types of aircraft, he never managed to take to the skies in the iconic Spitfire, something he now intends to correct.

There are clips and more information on this programme’s BBC page.