Events and Air Smiles Days
A Dream Flight with fly2help www.dreamflight.org
fly2help recently supported the like-minded charity Dreamflight, by providing 78 individuals with a thrilling day at Filton Airport in Bristol, which included a flight for everyone in a Learjet! Dreamflight is a national charity that supports life-limited, chronically ill or recovering children, by providing a 'once-in-a-lifetime' holiday to Disneyland, Florida which departed on 14th October 07.
So what was fly2help's remit for the day? - Quite simply to put smiles on the faces of the 78 attendees, ensuring that all the pre-holiday apprehensions were dealt with in advance of their departure. With fly2help's love of flying and the team's expertise, they knew they could not only reassure all those involved, but make this a memorable and extra special day for everyone.
There
are many worries for all the family members involved in this
holiday and it was essential to encourage the Dreamflight
children to start building friendships with their fellow holiday
makers; for the parents to meet their childrens' holiday carers;
and for the children to meet and start bonding with their
new nurses and physiotherapists.
How best to do this? Treat them as VIP's and make them feel extra special with an 'ice-breaking' event. To achieve this, fly2help needed to find the right aircraft; which is where Freestream Aircraft Limited stepped in and offered to fund two Learjets, provided by Gama Aviation Limited at Farnborough! Perfect!
On
arrival at Filton, Gama Aviation's two jets taxied to the
stands with their pilots dressed in traditional 'Biggles'
hats and scarves. The laughter and fun had just begun!
The generous provision of two Learjets allowed fly2help
to offer two separate trips per family. For many of the children,
this is the first time they will experience flying, as well
being the first time without their parents - a big step for
the whole family! In the first aircraft, fly2help
arranged for the Dreamflight children to enjoy a flight experience
with their holiday carers so they could start to bond, at
the same time as allowing the medical staff time to assess
further individual needs that may be required 
for
the actual holiday. The second aircraft allowed the parents
and the siblings to also be flown. It is of course, not only
the children themselves who suffer the effects of their illnesses,
often the siblings find themselves 'on the outside' with lots
of confusion of their own... this was their chance to feel
special too, ensuring precious time together to share the
fun of their own exciting experience. By arranging for these
two separate flights for each family, there was the added
bonus of both groups being reunited and able recounting their
own thrilling experience to each other.
As the very first flight landed fly2help new their plan would work. The smiles, bright eyes and squeals of enthusiasm were breathtaking - the contrast from beforehand was clear to everyone, as the children chatted happily to their carers and new friends. A delight for all to see! On landing each child was presented with a 'Goody Bag' including Learjet teddy bear, Learjet pin, model aeroplane and Certificates signed by their pilot. Huge thanks also go to Bombardier Skyjet International their generous contribution and ongoing support.
Other attractions on the day were generously provided by the Filton Airport fire crew. A stunning Mustang display was also provided by "Miss Helen" and fly2help CEO, Phill O'Dell, during which the children and parents alike shouted loudly, cheered and waved encouragement for another loop or roll!
Every objective of the day was not only met, but exceeded. So much so that there is talk of us arranging another event next year!
fly2help are extremely grateful for the priceless support of Freestream Aircraft Limited and Gama Aviation. Our thanks also go to Alan Haile (Filton Airport Manager) for waving the landing fees on all ten sorties; to Gavin Hodge and Janette (Flight Operations), ATC, Fire Dept, and Ramp Services all based at Bristol Filton Airport, and last but by no means least, to all who volunteered their time and support on the day.