This Friday will be a day to remember for students at the Hawridge and Cholesbury School in Chesham as a plane will land within its grounds.
Pupils at the Cholesbury Lane establishment will see a Cessna 150 light aircraft fly in to mark the school’s launch of ‘Advent Adventures’.
This is a charity campaign hosted by the international NGO Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).
And ex-pupil, 21-year-old James Gullett, who is training to become an MAF pilot, will have the honour of flying into his old stomping ground in the two-seater plane.
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James is currently one of Britain’s youngest MAF bush pilots and hopes to inspire pupils at his primary school about the lifesaving work he is involved in, as well as kick-starting the Christmas countdown with an exciting, interactive aviation experience.
He said: “It’s a real joy to be coming back to my old primary school to showcase an amazing charity which has deeply impacted me.
“Having the chance to see a real aircraft in their playground, as well as follow the exciting work of MAF during Advent will, I hope, inspire the pupils to make a big difference in our world just like MAF pioneer Stuart King did all those years ago.
“MAF is a life-saving organisation, and it’s a great opportunity for the children to learn about isolated places and the challenges people face across the world, as well as getting excited about Christmas.”
Originally from Chesham, James moved to Kenya at the age of seven and spent four years fostering an interest in aviation after seeing MAF aircraft in action.
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Returning to the UK in 2012, he learnt more about the MAF through co-founder and RAF veteran, Stuart King, via his autobiography, ‘Hope Has Wings’, which helped inspire him to become a pilot.
His arrival on November 30 will see the school’s students through Advent embark on an interactive, digital journey, with access to online crafts, games and educational resources which they can download in the classroom and at home through the campaign’s free website.
In the place of a daily chocolate reward, the children will be ‘flown’ to a new country each day, and be given the chance to learn about different cultures and life in vulnerable and isolated places.
Hawridge and Cholesbury’s headteacher, Rosie Phillips, said: “At this time of year, we can easily become very focused on the gifts we hope to receive at Christmas – every year there is a new gadget or game we hope to ‘snap up’ during the winter sales.
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“Today I would like our school community to stop and think about some of the vulnerable and remote places in the world that many of us will never visit, but where MAF is facilitating impressive, life-saving work.
“We are very excited to welcome a MAF plane into our playground, and to hear from a former pupil who I am sure will bring it all to life.”
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