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Taxi Charity helps three WWII veterans fulfil lifelong dreams with Spitfire flights
- Perry Richardson
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Three Second World War veterans have fulfilled lifelong ambitions to fly in Spitfires after a dedicated fund established by the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans paid for the experience.
Paul Terry, Alf Cooley and Ivan Staines each flew in a separate aircraft operated by Fly A Spitfire at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar on Thursday 13 August.
The flights formed part of the charity’s work to create memorable experiences for veterans, alongside its programme of commemorative visits, museum trips, concerts and social events.
For Cooley, a lifelong Spitfire enthusiast, the flight delivered an experience he had never expected to have. His daughter, Ann Crossley, said the charity had also given her father opportunities to travel, build friendships and become part of its wider community.
Crossley said: “Today is the day my wonderful Dad gets to fulfil his wish to fly in a Spitfire courtesy of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans. We are so grateful for all the things they have done for Dad, the places he has seen and the camaraderie he has experienced.”
After landing, Cooley said: “I was absolutely blown away. The experience was something I will remember for the rest of my life. I never thought that one day I would be flying in my favourite plane, the Spitfire.”
Terry, who watched aerial battles over London as a teenager before serving as a rifleman, described the flight as the completion of a personal journey stretching back more than eight decades.
He said: “It was remarkably smooth, though to be honest, not quite as fast as I thought. I reckon my BMW could give it a run for its money.
“Jokes aside, it was an incredible experience. From watching the dogfights rage over London as a teenager, to spending the war as a rifleman with my feet planted firmly on terra firma, finally getting up into the sky in a Spitfire brought everything full circle.”
Staines said after his flight: “An amazing experience that I never expected to get. I am absolutely over the moon.”
The Taxi Charity supports veterans from different conflicts and arranges journeys to France and the Netherlands for commemorative events. Volunteer taxi drivers also help veterans attend activities and reunions across the UK.
Keely Allen, Trustee and Fundraising Officer for the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, said seeing all three veterans fly had been a moving occasion for those involved.
Allen said: “These iconic aircraft played such an important part in the story of their generation, so to see them flying in one is something very special.
“We are hugely grateful to everyone who has helped make these flights possible. But we don’t want these three veterans to be the last.”
The charity is now preparing for its next fundraising challenge. Allen and four volunteers will take part in the Thames Bridges Trek in September, with the aim of raising enough money to fund a Spitfire flight for another Second World War veteran.
