High flying aviator bears spread wings across Europe

Fundraiser for LauraLynn Children’s Hospice and Dogs Trust Ireland

Published: Sun 1 Oct 2023, 8:02 PM

Last updated: Thu 5 Oct 2023, 4:43 PM

Since the evening of the ‘Women in Aviation’ fundraiser on August 31, which raised €2465 (total €5600), the Mullingar fundraising flyers, Capt Paddy and Lucky, have been on an adventure of a lifetime.

They visited the Mourne Flying Club Fly-In BBQ with Brendan Digney and Mark Chambers and enjoyed meeting pilots from across Ireland, including some old friends that they had previously flown with.

Paddy and Lucky were invited to see the collection of the Ulster Aviation Society, at Maze Long Kesh outside Lisburn – and they dropped in via helicopter (an R44 G-DKNY). Their host, Leonard Craig, met them and showed them around the collection.

Paddy and Lucky viewed the collection of the Ulster Aviation Society. Photo by Brendan Digney

Mark O’Neill, chief flying instructor at National Flight Centre, took the bears on DH 104 (G-OPLC) to the de Havilland Fly-In hosted by the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden airfield.

The organisers were delighted to welcome them, and they flew in the D.H.88 Comet, D.H.51, D.H Dragon Rapede and the Royal Chipmunk flown by King Charles III.

On their return to Dublin Weston, they also flew on a Tecnam P-Mentor and Beechcraft Model 18.

Then Andy Garland who took them to the Malta International Airshow, where Capt Paddy and Lucky made a big impression on pilots, crews and spotters.

The VIP Aviator Bears’ story made the news bulletin on One News Malta and they were interviewed by Kimberley with Andy Garland.

Capt Paddy with Stefan Doblhammer of the Flying Bulls. Photo by Robert Agius

As news spread, Andy introduced the bears to Stefan Doblhammer and Philipp Haidbauer, Alpha Jet pilots of The Flying Bulls.

Lucky with Philipp Haidbauer of the Flying Bulls in Alpha Jet.

They took a keen interest in flying them at the Sunday display and both bears were strapped into the aircraft to take part.

Unfortunately, the weather closed in, and the flight was unable to go ahead.

Stefan and Philipp asked if they could fly them to Salzburg, Austria to The Flying Bulls HQ, and that was an offer they could not refuse.

They arrived on Monday of last week, September 25, after an incredible formation flight with a B25J Mitchell that included a refuelling stop in Italy and some incredible air-to-air footage.