Aviation fan boards aircraft for the first time at Manchester Airport

An avid plane spotter in his seventies who had never previously set foot on an aircraft was given a day to remember yesterday as Manchester Airport and Jet2.com partnered up to fulfill his wish of stepping on board a commercial airliner.

Bob Gray, 71, is a resident at Trewan House care home in Widnes. The home sits under a flight path, and Bob spends much of his free time tracking the aircraft flying over on the popular app Flightradar, also building up a collection of aviation-themed books as his passion for planes has developed.

Despite his love for all things aviation, Bob had never been on a flight or even set foot on a commercial aeroplane – until this week.

After receiving an email from the team at Trewan House, who were looking to set up a visit for Bob, the airport teamed up with its airline partner Jet2.com to arrange for him to take a trip airside and meet a pilot and flight crew, before taking an aircraft tour – including a visit to the flight deck.

Bob also took a tour of the new-look Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport, as it nears the end of its £1.3bn transformation – and met staff in various roles who keep the airport running smoothly.

Reflecting on his experience, Bob said:

“Even though I worked hard my whole life, I never got to take that holiday abroad. My love for airplanes got started when I was a young boy. I used to ride my bike down to Liverpool Airport and watch the planes take off and land. I got a passport with every intention of getting on that plane one day. Today it finally happened.”

Sam Ion, one of the team looking after Bob at Trewan House, explained:

“At Trewan House, we have a wish tree; we try and grant a resident’s wish once a month, or get as close to it as we can. Bob has always loved planes but had never been on one before, and his wish was to make that happen. So, for this experience to be happening for Bob is amazing.

“I can’t thank the team at Manchester Airport and Jet2 enough; this has been a truly remarkable day for him.”

Jet2.com flies to more than 60 destinations from Manchester Airport, and flight crew including Captain Ian Davis and cabin crew member Seana Thwaite talked Bob through their duties in delivering the airline’s famous VIP customer service – giving him a guide to the controls on the flight deck, and the safety demonstrations performed before take-off.

Phil Ward, Chief Operations Officer at Jet2.com, said: “We are delighted to have teamed up with Manchester Airport to fulfill Bob’s wish and welcome him onboard one of our aircraft. As a leading leisure airline, we are always looking to create unforgettable memories for our customers, and this is just another example of how we go above and beyond to do just that. We hope Bob enjoyed his special day!”

Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director at Manchester Airport, added: “It was a pleasure for us to welcome Bob to Manchester Airport earlier this week and to fulfill his wish to get on board an aircraft for the first time. We’re glad to have contributed to a memorable day for Bob, and we are proud of our role in serving the people of the North, not just by connecting them to the places they want to fly to, but as an employer, economic driver, and also as a good neighbour to communities across our region. We love having the opportunity to create special memories for people like Bob.”