Latest News from Multiflight
Read all the latest news from Multiflight at Leeds Bradford International Airport.
Charlie’s thank you poem to Multiflight
When 10-year-old Charlie Shaw took to the air in one of Multiflight’s fleet of charter helicopters the experience inspired him to write a poem.
Charlie was flown with a group from Manchester to The Curragh Racecourse: the headquarters of flat racing in Ireland, in a nine-seater Dauphin helicopter. After the flight Multiflight helicopter pilot Chris Wood was delighted to receive a poem called ‘Helicopters’ from Charlie.
“It’s great to get feedback after a flight and Charlie’s poem is a lovely insight into what a youngster took with him from the experience,” says Chris.
Here’s the poem Charlie, who has recently been awarded a Blue Peter badge for his poetry, wrote:
Helicopters
Helicopters, Helicopters
1,2,3
Dauphins, twin squirrels
One for you and me
Off to the races
Out for tea
Out for breakfast
Or over the Irish Sea
It’s not just helicopters
It’s places as
Well you see
There are big ones
Small ones
Some as big
As me
There are red ones
Green ones
And colours
Of the sea
It’s really exciting
Flying like a bee
But the thing that makes
It better Multiflight love
Me
By Charlie Shaw
Aged 10
Scout Group enjoys Multiflight tour
The 14th Airedale Scout Group from Guiseley Methodist Church enjoyed a tour of the Multiflight private aviation facility at Leeds Bradford International Airport.
The youngsters were delighted at the opportunity to look round the hangars and see the aircraft close up.
“Our thanks go to Multiflight for the tour,” said Scout Leader Nigel Batty, adding: “Everyone really enjoyed it: it now seems we have a number of budding engineers and pilots among our Scouts.”
Michael Bundey, Multiflight’s Chief Engineer Fixed Wing, said: “The Scout Group had a fabulous time: the youngsters were filled with enthusiasm and asked questions all the time. A number of the group expressed real interest in a future in aviation which is great.”
Picture shows the Scout Group at Multiflight.
Multiflight provides helicopter for children’s hospice Christmas surprise
Multiflight helped to make it a Christmas to remember for children and their families at Martin House Children’s Hospice in Boston Spa by providing a helicopter to fly Santa in with presents.
Multiflight and Leeds Bradford International Airport joined forces to provide a helicopter and presents for a special treat for the children and their families.
Multiflight, thanks to the generosity of helicopter owners Total Asset Finance, provided a Dauphin helicopter from its fleet of charter helicopters for the special Christmas flight to the hospice on the morning of Tuesday December 22nd. Leeds Bradford International Airport provided the presents for the children at the hospice and their siblings.
“It’s great to be able to help give the children, their families and the staff at the hospice a special Christmas treat and Multiflight is delighted to be able to do this,” says Linda Nicholls, Multiflight’s Charter Manager.
John Parkin, Chief Executive of Leeds Bradford International Airport, says: “We wanted to give the children and their families a Christmas to remember with an extra special visit from Santa and it’s wonderful to do this with Multiflight.”
Stuart Andrew, Fundraising Manager at Martin House Children’s Hospice, says that the hospice is thrilled that Multiflight and Leeds Bradford International Airport have joined forces to help the hospice.
“Martin House Children’s Hospice provides care for children and young people with progressive life limiting illnesses and provides support to their families and we do everything we can to help create special memories for them,” says Stuart.
“A visit to the hospice by Santa in a helicopter is a wonderful and special event for the children and their families and a memory they can treasure.”
Stuart adds that the hospice needs to raise £4.2 million a year to run the service it provides at its purpose built hospice in Boston Spa, Wetherby, and care for children and young people from throughout the Yorkshire region.
“The aim of Martin House is to provide family led care for children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses. It is a place where children, young people and their families can come to stay from time to time along their journey and find support, rest and practical help.”
To find out more about the hospice and the service it provides, or to make a donation, visit www.martinhouse.org.uk.
Pictures show the Christmas flight to Martin House Children’s Hospice.
Multiflight sells helicopter to Great North Air Ambulance Service
Multiflight has sold a Dauphin N2 helicopter to the charity Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).
Multiflight has sold one of its charter helicopters, a Eurocopter AS 365N2 Dauphin helicopter, to GNAAS.
Steve Borrowdale, Managing Director of Multiflight, said: “Multiflight is delighted to have been selected by Great North Air Ambulance as the company to help and support the charity with the purchase of a Dauphin Eurocopter AS 365 N2 helicopter.
“The Dauphin will be an asset to the valuable service the charity provides across the North East of England, North Yorkshire and Cumbria.”
GNAAS has launched a public fundraising campaign to help meet the cost of the helicopter and has been amazed at the public response. The campaign, called ‘Air Angels’, aims to raise £1 million.
Grahame Pickering, Chief Executive of GNAAS, said: “We are very grateful to Multiflight for supporting the charity through the difficult process of purchasing a helicopter. The charity believes that buying its own aircraft, rather than leasing as it has done in the past, will be more cost-effective in the long term.”
He added: “We are all extremely grateful for the backing the public have shown towards our £1 million campaign and look forward to seeing this aircraft in the sky for the Great North Air Ambulance Service.”
For more details about the Great North Air Ambulance Service, or to donate to the ‘Air Angels’ campaign, go to www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk.
Multiflight celebrates first CPL (H) success
Multiflight is celebrating after student Natasha Tottman successfully completed her Helicopter Commercial Pilot’s Licence: its first student to become a professional helicopter pilot.
Multiflight only recently launched its CPL (H) flight training course and 26-year-old Natasha has become its first student to pass the course.
“The Multiflight Flight Training Centre is delighted for Natasha,” said Multiflight’s Helicopter Chief Flying Instructor Yannis Giannopolous.
“Natasha has done all her training with us, right from taking her Helicopter Private Pilot’s Licence through to her Helicopter Commercial Pilot’s Licence and type ratings on R22 and R44 helicopters, and it has been great to help her fulfil her ambition to become a professional helicopter pilot.”
Natasha, an administrator from Huddersfield, said she had always wanted to learn to fly and hoped to pursue a career as a helicopter pilot after doing her instructor training.
“It has been hard work, but I have loved my flight training at Multiflight. The company takes a very professional approach to flight training while creating a very friendly, relaxed training environment. I chose the company after doing a lot of research and finding Multiflight to have the best all-round offering. The fact that Multiflight is based at an international airport is a major bonus as it’s a real test of being a career pilot.”
Natasha said she had always wanted to train as a fixed wing pilot, but after visiting Multiflight and seeing the helicopters she quickly changed her mind.
“There is nothing quite like flying a helicopter and the views are spectacular. A highlight of my training was a Heathrow crossing: I was really proud of that and it was great fun.”
Anyone wanting to fly a helicopter for remuneration must hold a CPL (H). This is the professional licence that allows you to work as a helicopter pilot and perhaps fly with a charter fleet, to fly a helicopter for the oil industry, or to become an instructor if you complete a Flying Instructor Rating: as Natasha now aims to do.
You can find more details here about CPL (H) flight training.
Picture shows Natasha with Yannis at Multiflight.
Congratulations Yannis!
Multiflight’s Helicopter Chief Flying Instructor Yannis Giannopolous has become a qualified PPL (H) examiner.
Yannis, a qualified PPL (H) and CPL (H) instructor, is now an examiner for PPL (H), type ratings and annual revalidations.
Multiflight gets pet travel approval
Passengers can now fly into Multiflight at Leeds Bradford International Airport with their furry friends after the private aviation company became approved as one of the UK’s entry points for pets.
Multiflight has been authorised by the Government to handle domestic dogs, cats and ferrets under the DEFRA/Animal Health Pet Travel Scheme (PETS). PETS is the system that allows pet dogs, cats and ferrets from certain countries to enter the UK without the need for quarantine as long as they meet the rules.
“Multiflight has become one of only a few private aviation companies approved as a UK entry point for pets and we feel this is an additional service that will be warmly welcomed by pet owners wanting to travel with their pets through Leeds Bradford International Airport,” says Multiflight Handling Manager Heather Cawthorne.
“We are always looking at ways to improve and expand the service we provide to clients and to always meet their needs and expectations: pet travel approval is an important part of this on-going process.”
Multiflight Pet Travel offers passengers and their dogs, cats and ferrets a dedicated pet handling team trained to process the necessary paperwork and to meet and greet pets and their owners or handlers at Leeds Bradford International Airport. This allows for hassle-free travel for owners and their pets and allows pets to relax in the comfort of the aircraft cabin during flights.
The Multiflight Pet Travel team will meet pets and owners on arrival and will carry out pre-disembarkation checks. The team will check the pet’s passport, travel credentials and its micro-chip.
For more information about Multiflight Pet Travel see here, email pettravel@multiflight.com, or telephone the team on +44 (0) 113 238 7140.
Multiflight sponsors football team
Multiflight has sponsored the kit of the Boroughbridge Under 8’s football team.
“Multiflight is delighted to sponsor the Boroughbridge Under 8’s football team and wishes the team the best of luck in its matches this season,” says Multiflight’s Finance Director Miles Beecham.
He adds: “Grass roots sport is essential and the more sport that is available for youngsters the better. It’s always a struggle for small local teams and clubs to get funding and sponsors, but it is crucial that they do.”
Pictures show the Boroughbridge Under 8’s team in its new Multiflight-sponsored kit.
Multiflight gains additional approvals
Multiflight has some new additions to our already extensive approval list.
We are now approved by the CAA to provide maintenance for the Cessna 208, Mooney M20 Series, Diamond DA40 Series, Diamond DA42, Vulcanair 68P Series the Agusta A109 Series and the Bell 407 Series. We have also gained FAA approval for the Cirrus SR20 Series and the Cirrus SR22 Series and the Bell 206 Series.
Multiflight’s Managing Director Steve Borrowdale said: “We are very pleased to add these aircraft types to our approvals list. We are committed to continually improving our engineering offer and these approvals help us further towards our aim of becoming the North’s premier fixed wing and helicopter engineering facility.”
“We plan further expansion of our approvals in the near future.”
Multiflight celebrates a place on Yorkshire’s Growth 100 list
Multiflight is celebrating being named as one of Yorkshire’s top Growth 100 companies for 2009.
Multiflight appears on the Yorkshire Business Insider’s Growth 100 list for 2009 as being a company that stands out to have done exceptionally well to achieve growth in such difficult times.
Multiflight had to achieve five years’ consecutive growth to make the list. Insider’s research ranks companies by the average percentage increase in turnover they have achieved over this period.
Steve Borrowdale, Multiflight’s Managing Director commented: “Multiflight is delighted to appear on the Insider’s Growth 100 list for 2009. We are proud of our achievements and our success is due to a committed team and providing first class facilities and services and delivering a first class customer experience to each and every customer.”
Miles Beecham, Multiflight’s Finance Director, said: “Appearing on the Growth 100 list shows that here at Multiflight we have managed to grow during a recession and consolidate for future growth and expansion of our private aviation facilities and services here at Leeds Bradford International Airport.”
Picture shows the Multiflight facility at Leeds Bradford International Airport.
Students Celebrate!
Multiflight Flight Training Centre students are celebrating IR, CPL, PPL and MEP passes. Our congratulations go to them all:
IR: Andy Shaw, Richard Chadwick, David Lennox, Marc Brown
CPL: Ian McKinnon, John O'Neil, Omar Zayed, Richard Chadwick
PPL: Chris Levrier, Paul Fairbank, Richard Sixsmith, Paul Rothwell, James Taylor, Robin Calvert, Chris Hulley, Captain Dix, Arnold Pfeifer
MEP: David Huntington
Any news?
Please let us know if you have any news you would like including. Email: susan.preston@multiflight.com
