Clocking up the ‘Air Smiles’ for local kids thanks to Airbus-sponsored event

Twenty local children took to the skies over the region at the weekend as part of ‘Air Smiles’ Day, an Airbus-sponsored event hosted in association with leading aviation charity partner, fly2help.

The children and members of their families were invited to the Airbus site in Broughton to enjoy a fun-filled day of activities, including a short flight aboard a light aircraft.

The families selected to take part in the event were identified through local charities Reach, which provide support to those living with upper and lower limb deficiencies and Clare House Hospice in the Wirral which provides care to children with life-threatening illnesses.

The youngsters got to experience the thrill of aviation as they took off in a Beech King Air and a Columbia Lancair enjoying a 20-minute flight over their local community courtesy of pilots from across the country who show their support for fly2help.

[miptheme_quote author=”Phil McGraa Community Relations Manager at Airbus Broughton.” style=”boxquote text-left”]Air Smiles Days are always an honour to be involved with. This year marks the fifth Air Smiles event hosted at Airbus Broughton and as always it was a great opportunity to engage with some of the most deserving young people in the local community.”[/miptheme_quote]

They were also treated to a demonstration from the North Wales Police Rural Crime Unit and the on-site fire and safety team, a static display of Rally Cars from a local enthusiasts club along with interactive aviation workshops run by Airbus graduates.

The day’s activities aimed to provide a respite day for those coping with severe disability or physical impairment and to promote disability awareness in the UK. This year’s event was particularly special as fly2help marks a decade of Air Smiles Days along with its 2000^th beneficiary.

Air Smiles manager, Helen Tempest, said:

“This year fly2help is celebrating its 10^th anniversary and during this time we are more focused than ever on providing so many more people living in challenging situations with a special day to remember.

“Our continued partnership with Airbus enables us to come together as one big family to put on a very personal event focused on the individual needs of the beneficiaries. Air Smiles has gone from strength to strength in the past ten years, not least because of the massive team effort from fly2help volunteers and I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has given up their time to make these events possible”.

Tom Crooks, a young aviation enthusiast and one of the beneficiaries who participated in the event, said “It was a really fun experience. My favourite part was going up in the plane; the pilot let me steer for most of the flight which was really good.”

The 16-year-old, who is studying maths with mechanics and product design at A-level, added “I’ve always wanted to be an engineer and I’m now thinking about going into aerospace.”

Airbus in the UK continues its commitment to hosting such events as part of its community engagement policy.

fly2help aims to provide escapism to those coping with severe illness, disability, isolation and bereavement, offering a sense of uplift and joy through the magic of flight.