Press Release
Issued by The Air Charter Association.
October 20, 2011
andy Pantall from the charity Fly 2 Help was announced as the first recipient of the BACA Humanitarian Award at the organisation's annual awards ceremony yesterday.
The Baltic Air Charter Association (BACA) has added a Humanitarian Award to its annual Excellence Awards to recognise the important role played by the air charter industry in the field of emergency and disaster aid as well as charitable activities.
Ms Pantall, who broke her back in a riding accident and has since learned to fly, is part of the team of passionate aviators at Fly 2 Help, a charity committed to "helping others enjoy the inspiration and life enhancing privileges that being in the air can provide."
Other winners announced at BACA's Autumn Lunch and Awards Ceremony at Guildhall, London on 19 October 2011 were:
Best Passenger Charter Airline – Eastern Airways
Best Cargo Charter Airline – Volga-Dnepr Airlines
Best General Aviation Operator – Centreline Air Charter
Best Handling Agent / FBO – TAG Farnborough Airport
The Global Excellence Award – Tyrolean Jet Services
"We are delighted to be able to offer the Humanitarian Award to recognise the great work done by people in the aviation industry both in disaster operations and for charities generally," says BACA Chairman, Dick Gilbert.
DHL sponsored the award with other awards sponsored by Aviation Charter, Chapman Freeborn Airchartering, Direct Air Charters, London Executive Aviation and Air Charter Service, which was also the main event sponsor. Ruslan International sponsored the wine with Master of Ceremonies Nicholas Owen, BBC news presenter, sponsored by Gama Aviation.
More about Mandy Pantall:
Mandy was a wingwalker, a skier, a bungee jumper and a gymnast, but then she had a horse riding accident and broke her back. This put an end to all her action-girl activities, but she was determined to fight back.
With the aid of the Bader charity set up to help disabled flyers, she got back into an aircraft and achieved her pilot's licence, even managing to fly a Spitfire, which was something she had always wanted to do.
This inspired her to join the team which set up the charity Fly 2 Help, as a way of giving back something to help others.
www.fly2help.org
