20 May 2016
Twenty flying clubs and organisations are taking part in National Fly Kids Day in June, hoping to fly about 400 children invited from 35 charity centres.
The Day is organised by UK charity Aviation Without Borders with most of the activity taking place on 18 June.
Aviation Without Borders’ objective is to follow in the footsteps of the French aviation charity Aviation Sans Frontières and emulate its record of almost 30 years of extensive charitable work. It is involved in four main activities: air cargo shipments of hum supplies, escorting sick children, aviation discovery days and aircraft missions in Africa.
Aviation Without Borders National Fly Day 18 June 2016
Participating clubs and organisations
Aerobility – Blackbushe
ACS Flight Training – Glasgow
Azure Flying Club – Old Warden (19 June)
Buchan Aero Club – Longside
Cambrian Flying Club – Swansea
Douglas Bader Group with Bader Braves/Ulster flying Club – Newtownards
Feet off the Ground (FOG) – Bodmin (4 and 25 June)
Fife Flying Club – Fife
Goodwood Aero club – Goodwood
Helping Wings Jersey – Jersey (TBN)
Lancashire Aero Club – Barton
Leading Edge Flying Club – Cumbernauld
Leicestershire Aero Club – Leicestershire
North Coates Flying Club – North Coates
POM Flying Club – Humberside
Prestwick Flying Club – Prestwick
Scottish Aero Club – Perth
Spirit of Goole – Goole
Take Flight Aviation – Wellesbourne (pictured above)
TG Aviation – Lydd
One of the organisations, Helping Wings Jersey, is partnering with Wetwheels, a charity that does the same with boats as we do with aircraft. They plan to fly one group of kids to Guernsey, boat them back and boat another group to Guernsey and fly them back. “What a great adventure for the kids!” said Stan Stewart, chairman of AWB.
Last year’s event was affected by weather but many clubs simply rescheduled including Lancashire Aero Club at Barton Airport Its event was rescheduled for Saturday 15 July and was a great success. The sun shone on Barton and guests from Action for Children, Cheshire Young Carers, Quarriers and Reach. In all, 26 children and six carers were flown in 18 flights.
