HighFlight

The Customer First Team has been proudly supporting HighFlight for 25 years with a yearly donation from money raised by attending events, raising money at some events and helping to promote awareness of the charity nationwide.

Inspired by an incredible story of a disabled flying scholarship, a small group of BA pilots reached out to their colleagues to try and fund their own scholarship. A charity was born, HighFlight.

Over the course of 27 years, HighFlight have sponsored 50 people to learn to fly. This year, the charity is relaunching to help even more disadvantaged people achieve their potential.

We invited former HighFlight scholar, Alvin, to fly a Boeing 787 simulator and to tell the story of how the charity changed his life - see video at bottom.

From gliding experiences to flying scholarships

HighFlight gives access and opportunity to aviation for people whose situation or circumstance wouldn’t otherwise allow it.

Through flying experiences, past scholars have built up their independence, self-belief, and pride. As Alvin says, it really does make a difference to people’s lives.

“HighFlight is a great opportunity, for us pilots, to share our passion with those who could only imagine what it’s like to fly,” said Mark Hull, B787 Training Captain and HighFlight Trustee.

“Whether it’s a flying experience or a flying scholarship, HighFlight gives those who are disabled and those who are underrepresented in society an opportunity to do what most of us just take for granted. But, I guess, what most of them could only imagine would be possible.”

The cost of a cup of coffee

By donating the amount of the cost of a coffee each month through payroll giving, we can sponsor more people to learn to fly. You can also give a one time donation here.

For every £12k we raise, we can enable one person to achieve the goal of becoming a pilot and for £100 we can give a group of 15-20 young people the experience of flight at Kent Gliding Club.

About Payroll Giving

Payroll Giving is the simplest and most tax-effective way of supporting charities of your choice with money directly from your monthly salary. Your donation is deducted directly from your pay before tax, so a £5 donation to charity will only cost you £4 or £3, depending on how much tax you pay.

Testimonial:

Firstly I’d like to just say how fortunate I feel to have found the charity and was granted the opportunity for the scholarship what use do is truly amazing so thank you.

The first day of the scholarship when we went up in the plane I come down really nervous I honestly couldn’t believe I was going to fly the aircraft myself. I came down doubting myself.

As a couple of days went on I really got more an more confident, Deb an John who where unbelievable to us the whole 3 weeks not just in a teaching way on a personal level to, 2 absolute amazing people.  We did straight and level, turning, climbing and descending, stalling, and my confidence just grew more an more.

The ground school side I really enjoyed that to, since school I was working in construction and haven’t done an exam since I was 16. The air-law I really studied at home and then when we was getting taught it by Deb an John I felt the hours in the books paid off. It was really satisfying for me to have the feeling that I studied for something and passed! It’s given me that drive to complete the rest of the exams, I doubted my knowledge but was actually surprised how much I learnt.

Back to the flying mid week 2 we get briefed on circuits, I’m really nervous about how we’re going to put everything we’ve learn into quick continuous fluent decision making. 

First it didn’t go well but after a few times I got better an better, still loads to improve though. But to think I sat in the plane Monday 5th September with not a clue what to do and by the end of week 3 I was taking off unassisted semi assisting landing, doing before airborne radio, passing exams it’s just crazy how much we made progress. 

Even the evening times going out with Zak and Abi.  I’ve never been out with disabled friends at home was just so new to me to all socialise and just be 3 disabled people out in public and having conversations we couldn’t have even with family members.

Thank you to BA for sponsoring me it was a truly incredible experience words can’t describe how much it’s had a positive impact on my life and encouraged me to continue flying, i am forever grateful for the opportunity.