Acorn Court arranges “dream” helicopter flight

A former RAF engineer took to the skies on a “dream” helicopter ride arranged by the team at Acorn Court.

David Felton, 92 took off from Fairoaks airfield and cruised over Woking, taking in the sights from the sky.

The team at the 86-bed home, which offers residential, nursing and dementia and holds a Gold Standards Framework for compassionate end-of-life care, organised the trip as part of an initiative to make residents’ dreams come true.

“I have always wanted to take a trip in a helicopter and being able to do so really was a dream come true,” said David.

“I was really excited walking across the tarmac and seeing it there ready to take off. Hearing the blades whirring and taking to the skies was an amazing feeling.

“To see the local area from so high up was such a great experience and I’m so grateful to the team for organising this trip. It made me feel free and I would love to do it all over again!”

The father of two completed his national service in the RAF as an engineer and while he never had the chance to fly in one of their aircrafts he had always wanted to fly in a helicopter.

The team at Fairoaks Airfield presented David with champagne and chocolates at the end of his flight, topping off the experience of a lifetime.

Acorn Court, who recently received a Highly Commended at the Great British Care Awards for ‘Dignity in Care’, have organised a number of dream trips for their residents as part of their Wish Wednesday initiative which has seen residents visit airfields, museums and playing table tennis.

Care home manager, Noelia Fernandes, said: “David is always very chatty but since he came back from his trip, he hasn’t stopped talking about it!

“We strongly believe that moving into our home doesn’t mean you have to stop doing the things you love.

“Everything we do is about getting to know our residents as people, finding out what their passions are in life and finding ways to keep them engaged in these activities as well as providing scope to try new things.

“I’m so proud of my team because they care so much about the residents and they support the families too. We were delighted to be able to make this dream come true for him.”