I hope he has a commercial licence
Feel good giving
Carmel Thomason
23/11/2007
IF you are looking for a gift to remember, a new experience can be the perfect choice.
And you'll find it hard to beat a flight in an open-cockpit flying classic vintage de Havilland Tiger Moth.
Arguably the most famous bi-plane trainer of its era, it's still in much demand.
Pilot Adrian Matthews, who owns one of the original 1944 aircraft, regularly takes groups of youngsters from The Christie hospital on adventure flights via the charity Tigers For Kids.
To fund this Adrian raises money by renting his plane to film companies – it was used as the basis for the flying phoenix in Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix – as well as offering private rides.
Movie stars Harrison Ford and John Travolta are among those who have taken up the offer.
So, if you want to give your loved one the film star treatment this year, you can arrange a Tiger Moth adventure at Lincoln airfield for a reserve of £350 per half hour flight.
Adrian says: “This is no fairground ride, it's the real thing and it's dual controlled so once you get up there you can have a go flying it yourself.
"You wouldn't believe the way it makes the kids buzz, it's fantastic. Currently we take youngsters from Christie Hospital, St James in Leeds, Clare's House Hospice in Birkenhead, Sheffield, Nottingham, Birmingham Children's Hospitals and Great Ormond Street. We really do make a difference to these kids lives, it's like injecting them with life and motivation.”