Well he was a Metropoltan Police officer Whirls so you can make some likely assumptions...
The whole effort seemed to be a freeby [as in it was a few paid day trips to Epping Forest on full pay] and that alone injects a bit of variety in a 30 year career ....
If he thought about his fear of flying at all
he may well have had a greater fear of financing a trial flight of his own... so the trip to Lippitts saved him £30 there for a start....
Seems like a good plan overall and he got away with it
.