A Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero, the first Model 32 variant to fly since 1945, has successfully completed its first flight after an extensive restoration, according to the Military Aviation Museum, located in Virginia Beach, United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The former Imperial Japanese Navy fighter took off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, on May 5, 2025, at 08:00 local time, the Military Aviation Museum announced in a statement<\/a>. The aircraft was flown by Mike Spalding, the museum\u2019s chief pilot.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the Director and CEO of the Military Aviation Museum Keegan Chetwynd, the Zero was the \u201cmost significant Japanese aircraft type during World War II and was America\u2019s principal adversary in the air war over the Pacific.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHaving one represented in our flying collection helps us recognize, and honor those US naval and marine corps aviators who fought for the freedoms we all enjoy today,\u201d Chetwynd added.\u00a0<\/p>\n A group of museum staff and the restoration team at Legend Flyers supported the pilot from the ground. The museum noted that it was hard to \u201cfully comprehend the winding journey of survival this aircraft represents.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Paine Field is a large facility, so it took a while for the Zero to get to runway 34L. The pilot flew to a specific flight test area near Possession Sound, just west of the runway, making several circles before successfully landing back home.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.aerotime.aero\/images\/2025\/05\/pilot-1200x800.jpg\" "\\"pilot\\"")