Posted: 14th March, 2019
When Steve Gladston, Chief Executive, received a telephone call from Manor Park First School in Dorchester, he never imagined it would result in up to ninety children coming to visit the HeliOperations base in Portland. Knowing how important it is for the people in the area to understand what it is that they do there, Steve was only happy to accommodate the school for a field trip. The team at HeliOperations constructed a fun filled day full of activities for the children.
The children were transfixed with pilot, Nick Chick, who was in charge of showing the children the helicopter, how to operate them, and telling them all about search and rescue. This included showing them the equipment used such as a strop, and they were even allowed to put on the pilots helmets. They loved sitting in the helicopter and playing at being pilots!
Technical Director, Mark Deaney, was in charge of showing the children how to make paper aeroplanes. At one point the Aircraft Hangar was filled with flying planes made from some budding engineers! When asked what their favourite part of the day was, many answered making the paper planes. If only making real planes was just as easy!
The whole day was a great success and it was great to see how engaged all the children were. Who knows, maybe one day we will see one of them come back to us as a pilot.
To hear the whole clip from BBC Radio Solent, please go to bbc.co.uk/programmes/p072y4yj