From education to employment

Cambridge Regional College #SEND student invited for a VIP tour of Stansted after impressing airline bosses

A student at Cambridge Regional College took a VIP tour of an aircraft hangar at Stansted after impressing airline staff attending a jobs fair.

Titan Airways attended the jobs fair at the Huntingdon campus of CRC and were blown away when our special educational needs student, William Gyngell, visited their stand.

William was able to quote every plane Titan have ever owned, including engine types, company history and a wealth of facts and figures about flights.

The Recruitment Manager from Titan Airways, attending the fair, was so impressed she invited William to take a tour of their aircraft hangar at Stansted to tie in with his 21st birthday at the end of November.

William, 21, of Brampton, is passionate about planes, but especially passenger aircraft.

“I was overjoyed when I got the invite,” he said. “I like everything about aircraft but especially the noise. Hearing the engines is really exciting,” said William who is autistic.

William first went on a plane at the age of seven when his family went on a holiday to Corfu in 2007.

He loved the whole experience. Then in 2012, he discovered aircraft You Tubers and he was hooked

“I watch You Tube videos every day of them taking off and landing,” he said. “My favourite You Tubers are Banana Man UK and Train Plane Hub.”

“I know exactly what all of the different plane company liveries look like and all the information about them. I love the look, the sounds, I love flying on them. Everything about it.

“My favourite aeroplanes are the Airbus and the Boeings,” added William who has created a giant mural of planes on which he has painstakingly recreated all of the aircraft in their company colours.

His mum Ellie said: “He started the mural as a calming activity and got totally absorbed in it.

“His knowledge on planes is incredible. He learns so much and so fast. He also loves trains and tarantulas and is as impressive on all of his knowledge on those subjects too!

“I’m so proud of him that he was invited to this special day out. It means so much to him.”

Alison Perrin, Recruitment Manager at Titan Airways, said: “I was taken aback when William came over to our stand and reeled off fact after fact about our company and aircraft.

“I have interviewed hundreds of people over the years and we always ask about company knowledge but William topped all of those – it’s was like we were his Mastermind specialist subject.”

“We really enjoyed William’s visit. It’s a great way to start his 21st birthday celebrations too.”


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