Just be lucky you could have an hour up there. At the Sussex Airshow, It's $200 for 15 minutes in a 17. Then at the Willow Grove NAS Airshow, it's $30 for 10 minutes in a helo. Hell, I could go on FS twice for 30 minutes and it would pay for itself. Just be lucky you don't live in Jersey...

I'm with Hagar on this, and remember take-offs and landings are the most stressful times for the aircraft.
I think the Grace Spitfire is now about 2500 quid a go, and a nearly 3 year waiting list. Would I shell out the money for this, you'd better believe it.
Like Hagar says, its what its worth too you. For me the Spitfire is a religious thing (some of you may have noticed this about me ), so the dough doesn't enter the equasion. Its like all things in life a compromise of need v. desire.

Ozzy

PS. For a flight on a 17 it sounds pretty reasonable, its still less than it costs me to fly from Budapest to London return just to see relatives I don't really like

I can only echo what Ozzy and Hagar are saying here. These old Warbirds have a finite life span, limited hours and HUGE running costs. Since 9-11 aircraft insurance has gone through the roof. It costs £5000 per hour to fly "Sally B" so one of the ways to recoup the cost is by charging for pleasure flights.
Would I pay £250 for a B-17 flight? In a second. I'd be taking a ride of a lifetime in a plane from an era in history that is of great interest to me and I would be doing my bit, however small, to help keep a wounderful old aircraft flying for another year.

Just to show how limited the hours are for these aircraft, BBMF only fly their fighters for a total of 40 hours each per season and 100 hours on the Lancaster and that includes transit times.