19 July 2009: „The day started with a lot of rain, but the Wings of Smile carried the dark clouds away and we could witness the happy faces and excitement of our young guests,” remembers Bettina Nerb, Manager Sponsorship and Promotion at EADS, about the visit of Aviation without Borders at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in Fairford. It has become a tradition, that EADS invites Aviation without Borders (AWB) to hold one of its Smiling Wings Days at the RIAT in Fairford, UK. 15 children with disabilities from the Springboard Project, the Families United Network and Reach – three UK based charities – were given the opportunity to experience the world of military aviation at first hand.
The children had all at one time or another been guests at one of AWB’s Smiling Wing Days and thus have already flown in a sporting aeroplane or a helicopter. Experienced airmen, one might think, but at RIAT everything became a bit bigger and all attending were delighted with the additional opportunity to visit such a large air show with one of the best flying and static displays in the world and to be hosted in the EADS chalet with its own viewing area; as close as you can get to the runway without actually being a pilot.
In spite of the “very British” weather conditions with sunny spells punctuated by heavy showers, the air display was a success and was watched with enthusiasm – and a lot of clicking cameras – from the excellent viewing position near the runway. Of course, the Red Arrows were a favourite and were applauded wildly when they landed after their fabulous display.
As this Smiling Wings Day was supposed to be a day without barriers for these children who face a lot of limitations in their everyday life, EADS made some effort to exclusively open the barrier tape to static aircraft for their honored guests. The first exclusive stop on their tour was the French Armée de l’Air helicopter EC 725 Caracal. The crew and mechanics around Colonel Fabrice Albrecht welcomed the children, the trustees of AWB and Nathalie Poetzsch from EADS.
The French crew was surprised about the quality of questions they were asked by the kids and their parents about flying a helicopter in general and in more detail about the mission requirements. The visit culminated in a photo taken of every single child sitting in the cockpit – a seat that only a few chosen ones are entitled to sit in. One can’t imagine the broad smile on the faces of EADS’ young guests.
And on we went to an aircraft of a different size and with some more propellers. The crew of the 37th Airlift Squadron of the US Air Force based in Ramstein, Germany was already waiting for the children in their C-130E “Hercules”. The aircraft is a real veteran with 32,000 flight hours on its back and already in service during the Vietnam War. The children were invited to enter the impressive aeroplane through the rear ramp and were introduced to the C-130 by the entire crew who were all present. It was a hands-on experience: the passenger benches are not comfortable, there is a lot of space for cargo and the emergency parachutes for the crew are very, very heavy – these were just a few of the comments that were made by the guests. Finally, there were narrow steps leading into the cockpit that proved not to be a barrier at all for our guests. Up they wanted to go and have a look at the workplace of the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer and although there was some standing in line and waiting involved, they all made it.
What a day! Now lunch was desperately needed and the catering staff of the EADS Chalet welcomed the group with a delicious buffet and kid’s lunch. The afternoon was reserved for watching the flying display from the EADS chalet garden and for taking photos of the air show. At the end of the day Bettina Nerb and Nathalie Poetzsch presented the children with posters and other items. On leaving, all at EADS and AWB were thanked for their generosity and the chalet personnel were thanked for their kind attention. As the emails below testify, a wonderful day was had by all. And EADS now stands for other words than European Aeronautic Defence and Space…
The Harbut family: “Although he does not show it, Cain has had a tough year […]. I cannot help but feel that events like RIAT give him a boost and help him to get on with things. So thank you for the invitation, for the opportunity, for your company during the day and for having a positive effect on our son Cain.”
Daniel and Rachel: “Thank you for inviting us to the air show. We had a brilliant time. On the way back home we came up with some with some imaginative suggestions as to what EADS might stand for:
Every Aeroplane Does Stunts - Elephants Always Dance Secretly - Evil Alligators Doze Sleepily
