A RETIRED flight lieutenant got the surprise of his life at his retirement party on Sunday, July 29, when he went up, up and away in a Second World War fighter plane.

Alan Howard MBE, who has been a flying instructor at the 635 volunteer gliding school in Samlesbury, Preston, for the last 30 years, never imagined he would get behind the controls of a Spitfire before retiring from aviation. The fighter plane -- which ironically made its first flight on the day Alan was born on March 5, 1936 -- was used in the Battle of Britain in the Second World War.

Alan's wife Anne was determined to make her husband's dream come true and spent months planning the secret, high-flying rendezvous in the Mark-9 Spitfire with a 1,600hp engine.

"I could not believe I was actually going to fly her until I sat in her -- when I did take off it was the best flight of my life," Alan said. "I have wanted to fly a Spitfire ever since I was a little lad -- the Spitfire means so much more to someone my age because the war is still so fresh in our memories." He added: "The Spitfire was the first toy plane I ever had and I was proud of it then but to actually fly it was like a dream -- it seemed very fast and noisy."

During his career, Alan, who lives with his wife in Bingley, West Yorkshire, has devoted his time to encouraging young people to take an interest in aviation -- a devotion that won him the MBE. He said: "We didn't have any children so I see the cadets as my substitute family -- we encourage them to enjoy flying and many become pilots.

Alan's colleague, flight lieutenant Scott Harris, said: "It was a great send off. He really didn't have a clue what was about to happen and there waiting for him was this little rare two seater Spitfire. He was just stunned."