Most children get excited about boarding a plane, let alone one which will go on a flight especially created for them and their peers.
This was the experience for Hampstead School six-year-old Greta Barltrop, who went on Air New Zealand’s Koru Care Little Stars flight around the South Island last month.
Koru Care NZ is a charity for children who have disabilities or a terminal illness. And this is the fourth time Air New Zealand have done a Koru Care flight in New Zealand, while the airline has been offering them internationally for more than 40 years.
Greta was one of 50 children who were Air New Zealand’s VIPs for the day. They boarded a Dreamliner aircraft for the NZ8477 flight.
It was through Kidney Kids she and her mum Lauren were offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Lauren was 20-weeks pregnant with Greta when an ultrasound revealed her baby’s left kidney wasn’t functioning properly.
Today Greta calls it her ‘‘naughty kidney’’.
The kidney disease sufferer makes regular trips to hospital. She has had three big surgeries, the first when she was only a few months old, to assist with draining the organ.
Nevertheless, Greta is bright, bubbly and chatty. Having a naughty kidney is normal for her, she takes it in her stride and does not let her condition define her or get the better of her.
She said she had many memories from the special day.
The flight offered stunning views of the South Island as they flew over Hokitika, around Mt Cook and down to Dunedin before returning to Christchurch. She particularly liked seeing the Southern Alp’s snow-capped mountains.
Before taking off, the VIPs enjoyed a pre-flight party at Christchurch Airport with the theme Around the World in a Day, featuring stations with food, entertainment and activities inspired by the destinations New York, Tokyo, Fiji and Sydney.
‘‘It was fun collecting the stamps in my passport at the countries we visited,’’ Greta said.
The fun and excitement began a week before the flight when a large package arrived which contained a box full of small boxes for each day leading up to departure day.
‘‘I liked opening the boxes, but only one a day. Inside were things like snacks and one had a jar with little inspirational stars,” Greta said.
The stars contained affirmations such as ‘‘You are beautiful inside and out’’.
As the children and their parents walked to the flight, there were Walk of Fame stars decorating the floor for each of the children.
Among highlights was receiving a star torch which reflected purple stars on to the aircraft cabin ceiling once the window blinds were down.
Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran, who was on board, said the Koru Care flight was a much-loved tradition.
‘‘The day was a heartwarming reminder of the magic and wonder of flying, and it was an absolute privilege to welcome our Little Stars on board,’’ Foran said.
He gifted each VIP a star, named in the Stellar Star Registry. So the Barltrop family are now looking forward to searching the solar system for the Greta Barltrop Star.
Air New Zealand’s chief pilot, Captain David Morgan, who was in the flight deck, said it was a unique opportunity, not only for the VIPs, but also plane spotters on the ground. The plane spotters included Greta’s dad Sam and older sister Hazel.
‘‘It’s not every day a 787 Dreamliner circles the South Island, so we couldn’t resist giving a friendly wave to everyone down below as we soared overhead,’’ Morgan said.
