Children at a special needs school can take off with their reading in a library created in the cockpit and fuselage of an Airbus 319.
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A 10-metre aircraft section has been delivered to the Loose site of Kent’s Five Kent’sood (FAW) School and will eventually sit on a mock runway, complete with airport lights.
“Not wanting to miss out on boarding a plane this half term like those lucky few who are off on their holidays, yesterday, we had our plane land on the school field at the Loose site. While the plane, a retired Airbus 319 fuselage, may now be firmly on the ground having reached its destination, we have high hopes for this new project with exciting plans to turn it into a library,” – said in FAW.
FAW School said thanks to air traffic control by way of JEM Construction and Ainscough Cranes, who provided the landing gear, the 10-metre aircraft section was lowered into place expertly and through the turbulence of a little April shower.
“It now sits in specially designed brackets, ready for its refurbishment, which will take place over the next few months.”
The section of the plane is from the retired Antonio Sergio aircraft that flew with Air Portugal. It came from an aviation salvage specialist in the UK, who cut and stripped the plane and tailored it to our needs, including adding access doors to the hold for storage.
It will have an access lift, some passenger chairs to provide a comfy reading nook, shelves like hostess trolleys for books, audio stations and a mocked-up cockpit. There will also be a viewing gallery, which will all sit on an imitation runway.
“The library, which we have called the 7FAW7, is expected to be ready for the beginning of the next school year (providing that there are no ‘flight’ delays)”.
