Spitfire Across The Atlantic

This book examines the story of Flt Lt James E. Storey, from his early childhood in Argentina, his career with the Royal Air Force, and his subsequent record-breaking return flight to Argentina in a Spitfire PR XI.

Following his operational training in Africa at the outbreak of the Second World War, Flt Lt James Storey was first posted to 237 Squadron, before returning to the UK for PR training. Storey later served with 542, 543, and 519 Squadrons until the end of the war. Post-war Britain, however, was not a great place for demobbed aviators, and the jobs were not forthcoming. In light of these difficulties, Storey chose to return to Argentina, where he accepted a position as a traffic officer with BSAA in Buenos Aires.

Inspired by his wartime experience, Storey recognized the business potential of photographing the world from above and obtained a Spitfire PR XI from the Aircraft Disposal Department of the MoS. In order to save time, he made the decision to fly the aircraft across the Atlantic. The trip was made in company of a BSAA Lancastrian, and the crossing of the South Atlantic, a distance of 1,800 miles, was completed in eight hours and forty minutes—the longest Spitfire flight up to that date.

Spitfire Across the Atlantic examines the story of Flt Lt James E. Storey, from his early childhood in Argentina, his career with the Royal Air Force, and his subsequent record-breaking return flight to Argentina in a Spitfire PR XI.