Tiger moth pilot's memory wish takes off at 80

An 80-year-old former Tiger Moth pilot said returning to his workplace "brought back so many happy memories".

Doug Collyer, who lives at Field Lodge care home in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, was granted a special wish to revisit Old Warden Aerodrome near Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, so he could reminisce about his flying days.

He said it was an "emotional" trip down memory lane to the place where he used to train students.

It "felt like coming home", he said.

Mr Collyer, a former flying instructor, enjoyed sharing stories with colleagues from his flying days and explored an early 20th-Century aircraft, part of the Shuttleworth Collection at the airfield.

"Visiting Old Warden again felt like coming home," he said.

"It brought back so many happy memories.

"It was also an emotional day for me, reminiscing about the good times and reconnecting with friends."

He started his training in 1965 and gained his private pilot licence in 1966.

In 1986 he qualified as a flying instructor and became part of the Cambridge Flying Group, which is based at the Bedfordshire airfield, until his final flight in February 2020.

Mr Collyer said he trained "countless" students over the years, including close friend David, who joined him on the trip.

Linda Martinez, manager at the Care UK home, said: "It was wonderful to see the joy on his face as he reunited with friends and shared stories from his remarkable flying career."

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