Haven’t posted much in the last few days as I’ve been a bit busy but I thought I’d write to let you know about a superb day out we had last wednesday.
One of the LGW TCX 757 pilots organises an annual event where we ‘steal’ a 757 from the company, fill it with sick and disabled kids and their families and fly them somewhere without telling them where we’re going! This year our group consisted of about 10 pilots and 10 cabin crew (assisted by a TCX engineer and a couple of servisair friends) and we launched off as TCX007 (we had to add a bit of James Bond mystery to it!) from Gatwick just before 11am. We flew south to Worthing and circled one of the hospices before positioning to Shoreham where we did a visual circuit down to 200′ followed by a go around. We had a Southern Sound FM DJ on board who was broadcasting live during the go around as well as regional TV camera crews and newspaper journalists on board. There were also professional photographers on the ground to take photos of the go around. The police stopped the traffic on the A27 near Shoreham so we didn’t cause any car pile ups!!! After the go around we climbed up to FL160 a skimmed over to Jersey where we parked up for 5 hours. The kids wen’t off for various entertainments on the island while we enjoyed lunch at a nice bistro in St Helier (gawd knows what the locals thought of all those pilots and crew wandering around town in uniform. At 5.30pm we took the kids for a burger and chips in the terminal at Jersey Airport before piling back into our trusty steed and launching back off for Gatwick. I worked as cabin crew on bth flights and incurred an enormous of ribbing from the real cabin crew who kept making PA’s such as ‘if you look in the aisle you’ll see a sight never seen before, a pilot clearing up’!
I got back home at 10pm absolutely knackered but it was one of the best days off I have ever spent. The kids enthusiasm (and that of their carers) is remarkable and the sight of their faces when the 757 rotated skywards had to be seen to be believed. I have asked the organiser to consider Hawaii next year!!!
By: EGNM - 4th April 2003 at 23:06
Wys u off to ACE next thurs? – please – i’m meeting up with DAN330 if u come real early!
By: cbstd - 4th April 2003 at 22:14
Wys,
Thank you to you all that made a special day happen for some deserving kids. My sick son has been on the receiving end of these types of events and they are always day brighteners.
Scott
By: Saab 2000 - 4th April 2003 at 19:58
I will see what I can do, might try and persuade the States that it is for a good cause 🙂
By: Kenneth - 4th April 2003 at 19:49
Highly commendable initiative!
By: Hand87_5 - 4th April 2003 at 18:57
Some fresh air among of all those nasty stories that we hear in the news.
Thanks wys 🙂
By: wysiwyg - 4th April 2003 at 18:48
Saab, extend the runway to Torteval and it might be a possibility! I’m off to Malaga in the morning, driving the thing this time so it will be a relief to take it easy up front rather than doing the hard work down the back!
By: Saab 2000 - 4th April 2003 at 18:13
Wysiwyg,
You have made my day! I saw the flight to Gatwick on Teletext and wondered what it was doing down in Jersey. Anyway, that was a great report. Say, any chance you could bring it down to Guernsey next year rather than Hawaii 😀
By: T5 - 4th April 2003 at 18:12
Sounds like an exciting day – always nice to hear about deprived children who are treated to something they are not used to.
By: KabirT - 4th April 2003 at 18:08
Yes AW has run a feat. on it.
By: EGNM - 4th April 2003 at 17:19
i remember reading about the Air Canada programme to Florida with 2x B762 a few months bak too in AW
By: KabirT - 4th April 2003 at 16:57
great job Wys!:D
Believe it or not Indian Airlines does the same sort of thing every year.
By: EGNM - 4th April 2003 at 15:16
excellent – you certainly brigtened up a few lifes for kids who have got their problems through no fault of their own – its will be an experiance they’ll never forget!
By: dcfly - 4th April 2003 at 15:16
nice one Wys, bet you cant wait to get back in the saddle after all that domestic stuff eh?
Its nice to see some one making time for disabled kids ,yes they are exhausting but it must fulfilling for you and your colleagues to know you’ve made a few kids happy
Dave
By: Pembo330 - 4th April 2003 at 14:29
Great story wysiwyg – sounds like a great day out.
By: wysiwyg - 4th April 2003 at 14:03
Wouldn’t think twice about it Ren, you’d be my man for the job!
By: Ren Frew - 4th April 2003 at 13:57
Well done Wys ! That sounds like a great day and one I’m sure the kids will remember for a long time, not to mention the spotters !
It sounds similar to the annual seaside trip the Glasgow cabbies give to underpriviliged kids each year. Nice to see an airline doing the same.
If you get to Hawaii next year and your looking for a camera man to document the trip then feel free to consider your’s truly (lol):D
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April 4, 2003 at 12:52 pm