An RAF dad who was posted to Aberdeen, 423 miles away from his four-year-old son, has secured a year of free flights to maintain the bond with his youngster.
Tom Field was nominated by his partner who put his name forward after he “moved heaven and earth” to ensure he saw his son, Ethan, every two weeks.
The radar tech was posted to Scotland in April 2021, over 400 miles away from his family in Lincoln.
‘A lifesaver for Tom and Ethan’
Tom’s partner, Kerry Grant, was worried about him making the eight-hour drive at night after intensive weeks at work – which inspired her to nominate him for Loganair’s competition.
She said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the prize and can’t believe we won the Diamond Ticket competition.
“This will be a lifesaver for Tom and Ethan, meaning they can spend quality time together without being knackered from an eight-hour drive after a long week.
“When I met Tom, I could instantly see what an incredible dad he was and as Tom and I look to a future living in Aberdeen, with Ethan in Lincoln with his mum, I am delighted that I put Tom forward for the competition.
“This will really take the stress off as he travels between both places and gets to see Ethan as much as he possibly can and bring my son and I together as a family more often.
“To us, this is about keeping a family connected and that is absolutely as precious as a diamond.”
The tickets were due to start with immediate effect, however Loganair have postponed the start date after Tom was posted to an international base until June – making communication with his son all the more difficult with limited phone signal.
But when Tom returns in June, he and his pilot-enthusiast son will have a year to make the most of their prize and catch up on lost time.
Making up for lost time
Four-year-old Ethan is extremely excited about spending more time with his dad but also getting to hit the skies on more flights with the airline.
When Tom told his son about the prize, he said: “Daddy, that means you will get down in time for bedtime stories on Fridays.”
Kay Ryan, commercial operating officer at Loganair, said: “Bringing people together and keeping loved ones connected is at the heart of our operation.
“Tom and Ethan’s story encapsulates the essence of the airline, and we are delighted to be able to give them a year’s worth of quality time together.
“We look forward to being part of their special trips.”
Loganair received over 1,400 entries for the competition, so decided to select two runner up winners as part of the competition.
The longest-serving airline company in the UK celebrated its 60th birthday last month.
