Tag Archives: gold-rimmed dining table

94 Year Old War Veteran To Parachute Over Normandy

Those of you who have parachuted from 10,000 feet from a plane will be aware of the dangers of the activity. A number of things can potentially go wrong but the majority of parachutists make a safe landing suffering no injuries and thoroughly enjoy the experience.

However, there are very few people in their 90s who would dare take to the skies in a plane, jump from it at several thousand feet, free fall for a considerable distance before parachuting to the ground. Well that is exactly what a 94 year old second world war veteran intends to do on the 6th June 2019 to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing.

Harry Read is a very brave gentleman. Back on the 6th June 1944, whilst the Second World War was in progress, he was a young wireless operator. On that day which was the day of the D-Day landing he took to the skies and was parachuted into Normandy in France. Unlike many of his colleagues, he survived not only the landing but also the war. He later went on to head up the Salvation Army for a period of time.

Last year, in preparation for his forthcoming jump, he parachuted from several thousand feet here in the UK raising money for the Salvation Army.

All of use here at AIB Insurance wish Harry Read good fortune on the 6th June when he makes his parachute descent and hope that he makes a safe landing.

If you take part in parachuting on a regular basis then you may be interested to read that we specialise in arranging suitable cover. In this respect, why not give us a call on 02380 268 351 and speak with a member of our team who will be happy to discuss your requirements and arrange a competitive quotation without any obligation. We look forward to hearing from you.

Will This Ever Become The World’s Largest Private Jet?

It is the time of year when a lot of families are travelling abroad on holiday to enjoy a week or two on a sun-drenched beach. The most popular mode of transport to take you their is, of course, a flight on a commercial airline such as with the likes of British Airways or easyJet.

AirbusThis is probably not the case if you are His Royal Highness Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia. He has a number of private jets to choose from. However, back in 2007 he ordered an Airbus A380 that had been used in test flights that would have made him the owner of the largest private jet in the world at that time. Double deck Airbus A380s are normally capable of transporting several hundred passengers many thousands of miles.

The 60-year-old businessman is reportedly worth in the region of £20 billion making him one of the richest people in the world. He also owns such things as a super yacht that is the 58th largest in the world at a length of 282 feet, many top of the range cars and a home in Saudi Arabia that has several hundred rooms. He has not done too badly for someone that reputedly started out in business with a loan of £191,000 and a gift from his father of £19,000.

Apparently, HRH Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal had intended to have the interior of the Airbus A380 designed and fitted out to his own exacting requirements. For instance, some had said that it might have been going to have a gold-rimmed dining table  that could seat 14 people who would possibly have enjoyed fine dining. There may have been an opulent lounge decked out in luxurious carpets. He may have relaxed in a Turkish bath finished in marble. There may have been an area set aside on the plane for when he wished to pray equipped with mats that would automatically move to face Mecca. There was even rumoured to be going to be space to accommodate a Rolls-Royce.Airbus

However, for some reason, it is reported that HRH some years later re-sold the plane without any of the fittings mentioned above being installed. Interestingly, earlier this year, the plane was reportedly in Toulouse not having been delivered to anyone and with no equipment installed for the use of passengers with Airbus owning the aircraft once again having decided to cancel the original order.

It will be interesting to hear if anyone else purchases this plane and turns it into the largest private jet in the world?