Posted on 07/14/2016 1:49:40 PM PDT by naturalman1975
A terminally ill former World War Two Spitfire engineer's 'last wish' to be reunited with the iconic plane was granted after top brass saw him looking forlornly through a fence at one from his wheelchair.
Ken Farlow, 95, was an electrical engineer during the war, carrying out vital work to keep Spitfires and Hurricanes in the air in Syria and Palestine.
But after being diagnosed with terminal colon cancer, the father-of-three asked daughter Helen if he 'could see a Spitfire - one last time'.
Helen, 52, took him to Gloucestershire Airport where the vintage planes were being maintained by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight crew.
She posted a poignant photo of the RAF veteran on Facebook as Mr Farlow sat in his wheelchair gazing through the fence at the striking aircraft on the runway.
The heartwarming image was spotted by the airport director of operations - who was so moved he invited him for a VIP visit.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Pretty cool story. The airmen who gave hours of their time to give this man a few rare smiles in his hours of need are good people.
Reminds me of the story about Jack Nothrop when he was brought to the company in a wheelchair during his last days, to be told about the still secret B-2 bomber. With a small model of the plane shaking in his trembling hands, he expressed his joy that his life-long dream of an operational flying wing design had been realized. He said something like “Now I know why God has let me live this long.”
Nice things do happen once in a great while.
An airplane mechanic is not an engineer.
He did become an engineer the war. But why exaggerate?
I don't understand this sentence, can you explain?
Sorry.
He did become an engineer AFTER the war in a non related business.
In Britain an aircraft mechanic is called an “engineer”. In the US the term is “mechanic, or A&P mechanic. Other parts of the world call them “technicians” .
Same job, different countries.
It might be a British-ism
Thank you.
Ok. So what do the British call an degreed engineer designing things?
And don’t say unemployed.
Lovely article and I got to hear one of my favorite sounds in the whole world, a supercharged Merlin Rolls Royce V-12 engine spooling up.
In WW2 a lot of them were called "Boffins", on't know about now.
He did become an engineer the war.>>>>>>>>>>>>
Its a British manner of speech.
eg. She did become a Saint the cross.
Not sure, as I never worked with British designers/developers/engineers, but have run into wrench turners and rivet drivers from across the pond.
As they say, we are 2 countries separated by a common language.
Maybe the most beautiful airplane ever crafted.
Of course there were lots of WWII planes which were almost as nice.
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