On a wind and a prayer – UK in all its glory
EX-ROYAL Marine Arthur Williams has tackled the biggest challenge of his life — in the sky.
He explored the length and breadth of Britain from above in a tiny 1943 Piper Cub plane.
His mission saw him visit more than 25 air bases across the country.
Arthur said: “Planning the routes was a challenge.
“The aeroplane only weighs
550kg and has a 100 horse power engine which is about the same as you’d find in a modest family car. “And she’s very slow – she flies at
75mph. So I was a slave to the weather. A wind above 10mph was a problem.”
Arthur has had a pilot’s licence for a decade, but the mission saw him cover new ground.
He added: “I learned a lot about my capabilities.
“I pushed myself and the plane further than I’ve ever done before.
“And the result was a spectacular experience. “I wanted to see Britain from the air. I flew across the majority of it no higher than 1,000ft so I could see it in all its glory — the beautiful green fields and blue skies.”
The RAF marks its
100th anniversary this year and Arthur was keen to celebrate that on his journey. He said: “I went to bases in Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Norfolk. During the Second World War they were the bomber command bases and to this day we have our frontline fighters on the east coast.
“I also went to RAF Cranwell to discover the history of my grandfather. He was in the RAF in the war and he had a mention in dispatches.” Arthur’s mission was filmed for the series, Flying Across Britain. In the opening episode today at 7pm on Channel 4, he meets a City trader with an Iron Man-style jet suit, inset below.
He said: “Aviation events in Britain pull in the second-highest attendees a year behind football games. “But we thought, ‘How many people actually know what goes on in airfields?’ That’s something I want to help change.”
Arthur, 32, of Cheltenham, joined the Marines at 17 but had to quit when a car accident left him paralysed from the waist down.
He was adamant his disability shouldn’t be the focus and said: “We make a point of it in the first episode, but after that the wheelchair is mainly in the background.
“That’s been my approach to disability from the off. It should not stop us from doing what we want to do.”