Passionate Pilot gives his lucky passengers a trip to the sky for charity
By Katherine Stephenson
Bolton Pilot’s riveting flights have since raised a hefty £24,000…so far!
Experienced Pilot, Jon Hilton from Bolton has given “hundreds” of people the chance to float amongst the clouds in aid of The Clatterbridge Cancer Charity.
Jon says: “From the point of view of the people I take flying it’s a massive change of scenery it’s an adrenaline rush and it’s a mad relief when they touch down.”
Jon’s passion for the skies was first fuelled at high school when his English teacher told him he was incapable of becoming a pilot. Jon said: “I was always a cocky little kid really but he didn’t like me and he made a comment one day that just sent me on the flying root because he told me I couldn’t do something.” Jon set out to prove his teacher wrong and the rest is history. At the youthful age of 22 Jon acquired his US pilot’s licence in Missouri. By the age of 31, Jon said: “I saved up some more money and went flying in Florida and did a bunch of different flying licenses over there, IMC rating, night rating, multi-engine rating.” During this period Jon practiced flying along the runway at Cape Canaveral, a station famous for its space shuttle landings.
Jon was sadly stopped in his airborne tracks when he developed a corneal ulcer and was forced to temporarily give up on commercial aviation. However this did not stop Jon in his unusual career quest. Jon became an export clerk and was instrumental in installing search lights on the Eiffel Tower; he was also hired as the lighting project manager on London’s Millennium Bridge.
After Jon’s ulcer healed his thirst for travel was reignited when he bought his trusty ‘India Zulu’ microlight aircraft. Jon explained: “After ten years I thought, I’ll buy an airplane, so I bought my aeroplane. I then flew it to Canada and back and picked up the Britannia Trophy.” Jon met Prince Andrew when awarded the Britannia Trophy courtesy of the Royal Aero Club in 2013. Jon said: “When I’d got an email through saying I was going to be awarded the Britannia trophy it was a massive moment. So many pilots throughout the last 100 years have won it, it’s fantastic.”
Now he’s sharing his view of the skies for a minimum donation fee of £50. So far Jon has admirably raised just under £25,000 for The Clatterbridge Charity.
Many whimsical experiences have been shared through Jon’s trips. One of his most memorable flights was with a man called John Barry. John Barry at the time had finished his last set of treatments at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and was eager to complete one of his ‘bucket list’ experiences, flying. After Jon received a message from Clatterbridge about Mr Barry’s wish, he was given permission to tour into Liverpool’s air traffic zone and flew over the places that Mr Barry knew well. Jon said: “He had such a happy look on his face for most of the flight it was such a happy experience.”
After the flight, Jon had been invited to Mr Barry’s funeral which he later attended. Jon saw: “A picture of him in the aeroplane placed on top of his coffin.
“It was one of those experiences that just make you realise how fleeting life is, that he’d lived a full life he’d raised a family he’d had good times along the way but the dignified way that he faced onto his death was kind of all inspiring.”
Mr Barry’s family donated £300 on Jon Hilton’s ‘Just Giving’ page. Jon exclaimed: “It’s always a nice feeling when someone makes a decent donation to the charity.”
Through Jon’s flight expeditions he’s had the chance to meet a range of people from ages 5 to 97. Jon met 97 year old flight engineer veteran Harry Appleton, at the café bar ‘Veterans Garage’ in Barton Airport. Jon overheard Harry chatting to other folk showing his service records dating back to WW2 when Harry flew in the Lancaster Bombings. Jon then took the spontaneous opportunity to offer Harry a ride in his microlight.
Jon said: “I gave him a choice of destinations and, on the basis he went by train to Southport on Tuesday, we flew off in that direction. I asked if he wanted to fly above the cirrus clouds and his comment was, ‘I flew above the clouds far too often in ‘Lancs’ and don’t need that view again’. We ambled along and he flew for a while and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself.
“There have been a number of people I’ve taken flying in their 80s and 90s and you learn so much from these people. As I put on all the Facebook notices, if someone is facing a challenging time and needs a complete change of scenery then I’d much prefer flying those people around.”
Jon added: “Some of the more wonderful experiences I’ve had in an aeroplane is taking someone with a personal issue physical or mental and flying above the clouds. It’s beautifully pure and blue and then you bank the aeroplane ever so slightly and you just see the sun splash across someone’s face, it is very rewarding.”
For a lot of nervous flyers out there being trapped 5,000ft above the ground can be quiet daunting, but those fretful flyers have nothing to worry about with Jon. Jon explained: “If I’m flying someone else around I very much want them to enjoy the experience and I take that responsibility very seriously. It adds a bit or pressure to the flight for me because I want it to be the loveliest take-off and I want it to be the gentlest of landing. My job is to make sure that person is safe is comfortable and is enjoying themselves.
“If someone makes a donation over a certain amount to the charity or if they’ve been anxious I print off pictures of them in the aeroplane, put them in a frame and go round and hand deliver them. That’s another way of trying to give back a little bit but also reminding people of the experience they’ve had in the aeroplane.”
As for the future, Jon said: “I’ve still got that bit of an itch to do some challenging flying and maybe take ‘India Zulu’, my aircraft around the world.” Jon plans to raise a mighty £100,000 for charity through flying, for Jon only the sky’s the limit!
