getBook.at/JackieI’ve just read that Helicopter flights are returning, to the Scilly Isles flights and once again it took me back to my flying days when the small airline I worked for used to fly a Twin Otter over to the Scilly Isles.

We flew over there in the morning and back again at the end of the day, perfecting the art of ‘hanging around’ to a tee. I remember that we had to stay in our uniform, which in those days consisted of white gloves and a large hat. Vividly remember tramping across heather and long grasses with the pilots, while wearing my gloves and clamping my hand over my navy hat,  garnering some very strange looks from the locals and tourists.

As I wrote in The Magic of Stars, ( getBook.at/Jackie only 99pence at the moment) the weather was always very unpredictable and I vividly remember one poor chap who was taking his girlfirend on a day trip to the Scilly Isles where he was going to propose to her.

(The Captain was informed, and was to congratulate the happy couple on the return journey) And – we were fog bound! We circled and circled in the air before the captain decided the weather was too dangerous to land and we ended up in Southampton for three hours before we all trooped back on board to try again. Once again the weather ‘closed in’ as we were coming in to land and this time the pilot decided we might as well just retun to base: Plymouth, where the happless passengers had started from about six hours before.

Poor chap who was going to propose probably felt like throwing the ring in the sea by this time. Never did find out what happened, but if it had been one of my stories I just know it would have had a magical ending.

Only Happy Ever Afters are allowed!