YOUR report "Spitfire pilot's talk" (October 16) reported that Flight Lieutenant Charlie Brown was to give a talk at Pudsey Civic Hall on his experiences flying the Spitfire and the Me-109 German fighter.

Sadly his claim to be "the only man in the UK to have the experience of flying both the top fighter planes on both sides in the Battle of Britain - the German Me-109 and the Spitfire" is just not true.

I have flown several makes of Spitfire, the Hurricane and the Me-109 and I am still alive and kicking. This occurred when I was seconded to the film company that made the Battle of Britain film in 1968, and several of the other pilots on the same film also flew all the aircraft mentioned. I doubt that they are all deceased as they were all about my age and I am 70 at present.

Your own paper carried a photograph and an article about the film and myself shortly before the film premiere in Leeds on September 15, 1969.

Anyway, well done Charlie on your effort to raise money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, but no more false claims.

D J Spink, Sqn Ldr (Retd),

Ryecroft Avenue, York.

Updated: 12:02 Tuesday, October 21, 2003