"Fifth Ocean" - Greek Section Club, - Supermarine Spitfire MJ755 68th Anniversary Activity Days - February 1-28, 2023

The Amateur Aviator Radio Club “Fifth Ocean”, at the initiative and with the active participation of the Greek Chapter of the Club “Fifth Ocean” is holding activity days from February 1-28, 2023 to celebrate the recovery of the Greek Air Force Supermarine Spitfire MJ755 and the nonprofit Ikaros Foundation. The Supermarine Spitfire MJ755 was decommissioned 68 years ago, but can still fly reliably today.

Of the 20,000 Spitfire fighters produced for World War II between 1938 and 1948, only 240 remain today, of which about 60 are in good flying condition. One of these is a Greek Spitfire built in Birmingham, England, in 1943 and handed over to the then Royal Greek Air Force after the war on February 27, 1947. It was one of 77 Spitfires handed over by the British government for restoration. to the Greek Air Force. In April 1947 it became part of the 335th Pursuit Squadron. In 1949 it was used as a training aircraft at the Reserve Officers’ Aviation School in Tatoi.

In 1949 it was used as a training aircraft at the Air Reserve Officers’ School in Tatoi

In 1950 it was converted from an interceptor aircraft to a photographic aircraft for military purposes. It made its last flight in December 1953 and was then stopped as an exhibit at Tatoi and later in the yard of the Athens Military Museum. In early 2018 it was transferred to England for restoration. It remained a museum piece for 68 years and today is in excellent flying condition with specially trained pilots. (Information: (https://www.onalert.gr/)

The process of restoring the aircraft lasted about three years with intensive work and began in October 2017 after a Partnership was signed between the Air Force and the non-profit organization Ιkaros. The foundation assumed the costs of the reconstruction. The first test flight took place in January 2020 in Great Britain.

After many months of service, the Greek Air Force Spitfire aircraft arrived from London’s Biggin Hill Airport to be in Greece and operating reliably after 68 years.

The Fifth Ocean Amateur Radio Club, at the initiative and with the active participation of the Greek Chapter of the Fifth Ocean Club, is holding activity days from February 1-28, 2023, to celebrate the restoration of the Supermarine Spitfire MJ755. A special temporary call sign SX68SF will be on the amateur radio airwaves from February 1-28, 2023.

Fifth Ocean

The SX68SF team will include Fifth Ocean Club members Polidoros Stavropoulos (SV1AHH) club number #555 (CW – SSB), George Petrakis (SV1GGF) club number #556 (FT4 – FT8 – RTTY), Stavros Panayiotopoulos (SV1JFL) club number #614 (FT8 – SSB) and George Tsirakis SV1QVA) club number #626 (SSB). A diploma “SX68SF“ dedicated to the event was established.

All radio amateurs around the world are invited to make radio calls/observations with radio amateur members of the “Fifth Ocean” club on the bands 1.8 – 28 MHz and VHF.

Conditions of Diploma

“SX68SF“.

Diploma connections will count from Feb. 01 to Feb. 28, 2023.

The number of points required to complete the diploma is 68.

Regulation of points:

– For QSO/SWL with a radio station from Greece operating a special call sign SX68SF – 10 points;

– For QSO/SWL with other radio amateurs, members of the Fifth Ocean Club – 5 points.

– For QSO/SWL on VHF and 160m band with radio amateurs, members of the Fifth Ocean Club, extra + 1 point.

The diploma application is made in the form of an extract from the logbook and e-mailed to sv1ahh@yahoo.gr

Repeat QSOs are only allowed on different bands and different types of radiation.

All digital QSOs (RTTY, FT8, FT4) count as one DIGI.

Activators, members of the “Fifth Ocean” club, a diploma numbered in order with the index “A”, is awarded according to the number of QSOs made on the days of activity:

– 3rd grade diploma for 100 QSOs.

– 2nd class diploma for 250 QSOs;

– 1st class diploma for 500 QSOs;

-Master diploma – for 1000 QSOs

A prerequisite for receiving a diploma is proof of QSO on https://hamlog.online

The diploma is issued electronically free of charge through the resource

https://aviaham.hamlog.online/diplo.

QSL cards can be sent through: e-QSL.cc (DO NOT SEND QSL THROUGH BUREAU!!!)

SWLs can receive a diploma by sending an extract from the hardware log to sv1ahh@yahoo.gr

Five Ocean Club members can receive their diploma as applicants after the activity days are over

The Fifth Ocean Amateur Radio Club:

https://www.aviaham.org