A budding pilot has been given a birthday he’ll never forget.
George Clark from North Uist has already been on more than 50 flights and insists that his mum Sharon takes him to the airport twice a day – once on the way to nursery and then again on the way home.
The five-year-old is already determined to become a pilot when he grows up – and for his birthday, he got the chance to sit in the cockpit to see what life could be like.
Loganair hosted George and mum Sharon at their local airport on Benbecula for the special treat, giving him a birthday cake before inviting him onto the plane to meet Captain Ben Chesworth.
A birthday treat
George is a frequent user of the airline as he regularly makes the 35-minute trip from Benbecula to visit his dad in Stornoway.
However, lockdown has made that trip a little trickier so he was delighted to get the chance to get back onboard.
Colin MacLeod, local station manager for Loganair at Benbecula Airport, said: “It was a pleasure to organise a special treat for George and get him back onboard the planes he loves so much. As one of our youngest regular fliers, George’s face still lights up for every journey and we are delighted to be able to keep him connected with his family across our services.”
A pilot in the making
Ms Clark was delighted at the airline’s efforts to ensure it is a birthday he will never forget, and said it had been a “dream come true” for him to get into the cockpit.
She said: “The staff have been incredibly accommodating to George and his travel arrangements and I am extremely grateful for their help and kindness towards him – it makes his travelling all the more special for him.
“To get the chance to sit in the cockpit and meet the captain is a dream come true for George. His fifth birthday is one that he definitely won’t forget.”
George often borrows a shirt, tie and suit jacket from his mum’s partner to dress up and film videos with his model planes, of which he has over 100.
He also watches any Loganair footage he can find on YouTube and loves learning more about how the planes work.
Ms Clark added: “I can’t really pinpoint a time when his obsession with planes started however he is a regular flier and every single flight is exciting for him.
“George absolutely loves everything about planes – he has done since he was just two-years-old. He loves watching them take off and travel down the runway so we spend a lot of time at the airport.”