Flying dream takes off for Guildford care home resident

A lifelong aviation enthusiast’s dream to take to the skies once again came true thanks to the team at a Guildford care home.

Phil Kelly, 67, who lives with Motor Neurone Disease, has been a resident at Queen Elizabeth Park Care Home in Hallowes Close since 2022. Although his passion for aircraft has spanned decades it literally elevated when his brother Michael bought him a special 50th birthday gift where they each flew in a Spitfire, even experiencing a thrilling barrel roll. Phil has treasured this memory and has wished to return to the skies ever since.

The dedicated team at the home, which has 77-ensuite bedrooms and offers residential, nursing, dementia and end-of-life care, were only too happy to make Phil’s wish become reality. They arranged a flying experience for him at Fairoaks Airfield, where he took to the skies over Surrey for 30 minutes enjoying the trip with fellow resident Dorothy Tomazin, 92.

Phil spent much of his working life in the Royal Navy, where he proudly served as an electrical engineer. During the flight he said, “This is brilliant, you can see for miles. It feels incredible.”

Accompanying Phil and Dorothy in the plane was the home’s lifestyle coordinator, Sara James and clinical lead, Suwan Thapa.

“It was quite a small plane,” Sara said, “and the whole experience was amazing. It was a beautiful sunny day and the views were wonderful. The pilot, Tom, was pointing out all the places to us and it was fun to see Epsom Downs Racecourse. We flew over the care home three times, which we all loved.”

Cheering the plane on from the sidelines was Dorothy’s daughter, Anne, Phil’s other brother David, who used to be a pilot himself and lifestyle coordinator Jackie Avenell.

“It was exhilarating just watching,” Jackie said, “the weather was incredible and so we stood outside on the viewing platform. As they were taking off, they flew right past us and we were waving to them. We could see them smiling and waving back at us, it was so exciting.

“When we arrived their faces just lit up when they saw the plane. Both Dorothy and Phil had a great time, but Phil especially has just been over the moon about the whole trip. He was overjoyed and hasn’t stopped talking about it! “Phil can be more reserved at the home, enjoying his own company, so it's been lovely to see him really shine on this trip and it’s been great for his mental health. It’s brought back lots of lovely memories about his Spitfire trip too.”

The home which is rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) prides itself on offering activities that focus on fun and adventure.

Home manager Heather De-Ninis explained, “It’s about using the time we’ve got wisely and making sure we’re giving our residents the best experiences possible. It was lovely to have Anne and David on the trip too because our residents’ loved ones also become part of our home’s family. It’s important for us to create these moments.”

“Phil’s story is inspiring. We know how important flying has been in his life, so making this dream possible was incredibly rewarding for everyone involved. Seeing his joy and sense of freedom in the air was unforgettable.”

Pilot, Tom McCormack, has been flying more than 55 years, and he sat chatting with the residents before the flight. Reflecting on the day he said, “I feel that it was both an honour and a privilege to take Phil and Dorothy on this flight. I regard myself as being extremely lucky to be able to share the joy of flight with people who would otherwise never have the experience. “I was especially impressed by the obvious loving care and attention that the care home team showed to the residents and their families. It was truly inspirational.”

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