Chapter 6: Up Up And Away

On Monday Danny found a text from Major Leslie asking him to ring when he could. ‘The Winco has asked me to arrange a helicopter flight for you,’ his message said. ‘There only seems to be one problem. It will need to be during the week. We can clear it with your school, but do you have any suggestions what excuse we should give.’

‘Also let me know if you want to bring anyone with you, up to a maximum of six people.’

After some thought he rang back. The Major said, ‘Hi Danny,’ and asked, ‘What have you come up with?’ ‘I’ll go in reverse,’ Danny said. ‘I’d like, if possible, to bring four people with me. They are my girlfriend who is at my school. My friend Lewis and his girlfriend who are at the other school across town. It was Lewis who taught me counselling he explained. Plus, it was his radio camera we used. The last one is John. He is a widower who lets me do my counselling at his house.’

‘No problem there,’ the Major told him. ‘Because of ages you’ll need parental consent to fly. I’ll send you the forms through later.’

‘Any ideas for the school?’ ‘I wondered if you would do a tour of the base some time over the next few months for final year pupils to perhaps encourage them to join up?’ Danny said. ‘Whether you continued another year would be up to you of course. You could invite Lorraine and I to come as a trial run because you know me through my knowing someone on the base. Same with Lewis’s school. I don’t know if that is possible or practical.’

‘Sounds like a good idea to me,’ the Major replied, ‘I’ll go and run it past the Winco right away. We’re looking at this Wednesday at ten hundred hours.’ he added.

Tuesday morning Danny and Lorraine, plus Lewis and Ella were sent for by their respective headmasters. When they went into their headmaster’s study, he explained about the RAF considering allowing the final year at school to have a tour of the airfield.

‘They want to do a trial run with four pupils he told them. Apparently, you know someone on the base, so they’ve invited you two plus two from the other school. A car will pick you up at home between 0900 and 0915 tomorrow. I’ve no idea what time you’ll finish so I won’t expect you back until Thursday.’

‘As they came out, Lorraine said to Danny, ‘Who do we know on the base?’ ‘I know a lad who’s a driver there,’ Danny said. ‘They asked me to suggest someone else, so I told them Lewis and Ella. Oh, and Johns coming too.’ he added. Lorraine looked sideways at him. ‘Ah,’ she said knowingly. ‘I see.’

Danny handed her a form. ‘You’ll need to get this signed too.’ he told her. Lorraine read it through. ‘This is permission for me to fly.’ she said excitedly. ‘Oh yes,’ Danny said trying to sound nonchalant. ‘They might just give us a flight in a helicopter whilst we’re there.’

‘There’s something strange going on here,’ Lorraine said, ‘How would you know that?’ ‘Yes, well,’ Danny said grinning. ‘It’s a military base, so official secrets act you know, mum’s the word.’ Lorraine gave up then. She had a pretty good idea what must have happened and by now she was used to it. Anyway, with her first flight looming, and in a helicopter too, who cared how it came about.

At around the same time, Ella said the same to Lewis. ‘Danny knows someone there,’ he told her. ‘They wanted someone from both schools, so he suggested us as he and Lorraine are going. Oh, and you need to get this signed,’ he told her handing the form he had printed off. Ella read it through.

‘This is permission for me to fly.’ she said sounding excited. ‘Oh yes,’ Lewis said, ‘Danny says they might give us a flight in a helicopter whilst we’re there.’

WEDNESSDAY

Lorraine had spent the night at Danny’s. At quarter to nine John arrived. Then at nine o’clock an RAF car collected them. The driver was Lee, but in a bigger car with more seats. ‘Hi, Danny.’ he greeted them. Danny introduced him to Lorraine and John. ‘This is Lee a friend of mine,’ he told them. Lee shook hands, he had been alerted beforehand.

They drove over to Lewis’s. Ella’s mum had dropped her off on the way to work. More introductions and off they went to the base.

As they arrived, they were quickly passed thorough the gate. They pulled up outside the Winco’s building. Today the Winco and the Major were stood waiting to greet them.

As everyone got out the Winco greeted Danny followed by the Major. Danny then introduced everyone. ‘Come into the briefing room,’ the Major said and led then into a ground floor room that looked like a classroom, complete with a big blackboard.

Some comfortable chairs had obviously been brought in specially and grouped around one table. When they were all seated a young airman came in and served them all tea or coffee. As he served Danny, he whispered, ‘Hi Danny.’ It was Dean who had been roped in to help. Lorraine heard and thought to herself, ‘He seems to know half the base.’

The Winco stood up and addressed them. ‘After your coffee you will go and tour the aircraft hangar. There you will be kitted out with a flying suit. From there you will go and sit in an inflatable dingy which you will see out on the airfield.’

‘Our rescue helicopter will then take off, hover over head and pick you up one at a time on the winch. If anyone has a problem with that,’ he said looking at John, ‘You can board the helicopter before it takes off.’

John shook his head. ‘Not me,’ he said, ‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’ ‘Once you are all on board, the helicopter will give you a tour over the base. Then as an exercise for the crew, you will hover briefly over each of your homes and your schools.’

‘The crew will take photos, and you will be given copies later today. When you return you will join me in the mess room for lunch, then have a tour of the base on the ground.’

‘When todays visit was suggested,’ he continued, ‘Danny made a suggestion which the Major and I liked. I have since spoken to my chief at the air ministry who also thought it an excellent idea.’

‘Starting this year, both Danny and Lewis’s schools will be invited each year to send a group of their last year students who are interested, to a tour of the airfield. It will be a sort of careers visit. I must stress though that a helicopter flight will not be included.’

As they finished their coffees, the Winco returned to his duties whilst the Major took them over to see the hangers. They saw the parked planes as well as the maintenance bay. Then they were all given flying suits like lightweight boiler suits to put on over their clothes.

A young airman was delegated to lead them over to the rubber dingy in the distance on a grassy area of the airfield. Once they were all seated as if they were adrift at sea, the airman took a couple of photos of them before he moved away.