First Aviators Ball, 24th November 2007, a runaway success, £16k raised & planning a bigger event for 2008

The Aviators Ball took place on 24th November, at the Amadeus Centre in London. It was a fantastic celebration of flight and achievement - a dazzling aviation showcase, with all proceeds going to the BDFA.

After drinks, canapés, and a brief introduction by Mike Miller-Smith, guests taking their seats for the gourmet four course meal were delighted to find that radio controlled biplanes and helicopters were tantalisingly available on their tables - soon the high, enchantingly lit room was alive with diving and circling aircraft, with more than one spectacular ditching… Waiter! There’s a plane in my soup!

Breitling capped waiting staff and roving “close” magicians had to run the entertaining aerial gauntlet well into the meal before most of the exhausted aircraft went out of commission.

Miles Hilton Barber, blind aviator and adventurer, gave a gripping and inspiring presentation of some of his many unlikely and unusual exploits – from chancing his luck with Great White sharks, to flying to Australia by microlight – which had the room alternately spellbound, and shaking with laughter.

Fundraising activities included the “sign a note” draw for a trip and meal on the Orient Express British Pullman. Mark Greenfield of Ultimate High enthusiastically auctioned his own fabulous prize, of an Ultimate High Top Gun Experience. BDFA member and DHL pilot Martin Bethell had to follow that, auctioning a 757 simulator session kindly donated by DHL.

As well as being a captivating speaker, Richard Noble proved to be an impressive auctioneer, with some fabulous prizes as ammunition – including the amazing last minute ‘on the night’ offer of an L39 jet fighter flight from Franz La Rosee of Breitling UK (won after stiff competition by Tim Ellison, BDFA co-founder!).

The band “4AM” were brilliant, keeping the tempo going for some phenomenal dancing, and the bar well stocked - including an ice sculpture of the BDFA logo, doubling as a Vodka luge.

The evening raised an amazing £16,000 for the BDFA, an enormous contribution to what we do best - getting the disabled and profoundly ill into the air to share the special experience of flight.

Watch this space for news of the 2008 event.