Jamie Oliver has stepped in to prevent the closure of Andrewsfield Aviation, where he trained to be a pilot. This comes after the owners of the flight school, located outside of Braintree in Essex, were preparing to shut down as they had no successor to take over after retirement.
Jamie Oliver, chef and saviour of flight school
Andrewsfield Aviation has provided flight training and aircraft hire for more than 30 years. However, due to a lack of a viable succession plan, the business had faced the threat of closure, raising concern among staff, students and the local community.
The directors of Andrewsfield Aviation, Carol Cooper and Michael Rowland, said that:
“As time progressed, it became increasingly apparent that, without a suitable succession plan, the only realistic option may have been to close Andrewsfield Aviation.”
Jamie Oliver, a celebrity chef and restaurateur who received his pilot licence earlier this year, helped arrange new ownership to ensure the doors to the flight school remain open.
In an interview, Oliver said:
“Andrewsfield is a special place with so much potential. It has an extraordinary history and is full of wonderful people with an exemplary training environment that has changed my life for the better. I will remain closely involved as a supporter and will help wherever I can. It has got an amazing past and I believe it can have an exciting future.”
To help the school stay open, Oliver brought in Marc Naylor, also known as Blondie, as the majority shareholder, and he will be running day-to-day operations in the school.
Naylor said:
“I’ve been fortunate to enjoy many happy years at Andrewsfield, and this airfield has always held a very special place in my heart. After ten years away flying air ambulance operations in Devon, returning to Andrewsfield felt like coming home. Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter, and I’m proud to take on a role in shaping Andrewsfield’s future.”
Carol Cooper will remain head of training as the school enters its new phase.
About Andrewsfield Aviation
Andrewsfield Aviation is a flight training organisation offering training for Private Pilot Licence (PPL) and Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL). It offers a range of courses, from trial lessons to Flight Instructor Ratings, including new specialist options such as Advanced PPL, Formation, and Aerobatics. Andrewsfield also offers Ground School, giving aspiring pilots a complete set of theoretical training for the PPL examinations.
The airfield is located approximately 12 miles east of Stansted in Essex, just off the B1256 between Dunmow and Braintree.
What do you think about Jamie Oliver stepping in to save the flight school? Let us know in the comments.
