From aviation roots in the Tiger Club blossomed the career of one of the most versatile and talented warbird pilots around — the master of leading big Spitfire formations

The whole spectacle of a big Spitfire salute at IWM Duxford — the massed flypasts, the tailchasing, the aerobatics — is one of the greatest on the airshow scene. Listen to the display frequency, though, and the formation leader Brian Smith sounds like he’s going for the shopping. Such is the air of calm professionalism projected by one of the most seasoned warbird pilots.