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12-year-old Gives Grandpa His Dream of Flying in Spitfire By Sending Heartfelt Notes to Airfields
12-year-old boy helps his grandpa fulfill lifelong dream to fly in a Spitfire for his 80th birthday by writing heartfelt letter to airfields.
Social & Lifestyle
His wife of 57 years had just been moved into a care home last summer due to Alzheimer’s disease, and sadness was his only companion—until his grandson surprised him by fulfilling a lifelong dream.
12-year-old Harrison Gurney wanted desperately to cheer up his grandad and came up with a plan to give him the surprise of a lifetime.
Malcolm Hanson had loved Spitfires ever since he witnessed a ‘dog fight’ over his head involving one of the vintage aircrafts as a boy living in 1945 London during World War II.
Harrison knew that he dreamed of flying in one, so, to help him celebrate his 80th birthday, the boy wrote letters to airfields and private Spitfire owners across the UK asking for help.
“It breaks my heart to see him so sad. I want him to smile again,” read part of the letter.
Bosses at Goodwood Aerodrome in West Sussex were so touched that they offered to fly the two of them in the classic aircraft.
Harrison managed to raise enough money to fuel his granddad’s surprise by doing chores around the house and offering to do garden work for other family members.
On Friday, Mr. Hanson finally got to live out his fantasy of taking to the skies—and even got to take control of the aircraft.