Obituary CAPTAIN DES FERRY (1955–2018) Des was born in Glasgow 1955. His upbringing in Maryhill, Drumchapel and Finnieston was typical of the times and, in those early days, it was where his strength of character was most certainly shaped. At school, Des wasn’t particularly academic but excelled at anything practical. His dream of being a pilot was quickly dismissed and he was simply told to pick a trade. He started an apprenticeship as an electrician and for several years worked the trade, but never gave up his dream of becoming a helicopter pilot. Working hard and saving every penny he could, he eventually decided he needed to top up his savings with a loan. He went to the bank explaining his need for money for flying lessons; he was turned down (something as exotic as flying lessons was considered a joke). Des just went to a different bank and after hearing how the manager had a love of sailing, Des told tell him he needed a loan to buy a boat. The loan was granted and he promptly flew to California to start his helicopter training. After qualifying and then working as an instructor in the US, Des returned to Scotland in the late 80s where he secured a job with Bond Helicopters flying Super Pumas.Des was a naturally funny guy; his sense of humour preceded him. His one- liners were slickly delivered and side splitting, even if you had heard them before, helping to pass the long hours in the crew room waiting for the haar to lift. In 1995, Des was one of the Bond pilots seconded to work for Lloyds Helicopters in Darwin, Australia. Des loved Australia and would recount stories of Mindil Beach and how he would race down the airstrip on Troughton Island in a pick-up truck to chase away the masses of birds and a few crocodiles so that the Dash 8 could land. Once again, Des returned to Aberdeen and continued his North Sea flying career with CHC, building his hours and experience, ending up flying the S92. He continued his love of flying small helicopters and teaching others how to fly them, and frequently he could be found helping out at PDG helicopters in Kintore, Aberdeenshire. He then went on to dedicate a lot of his free time to the charity Wings for Warriors where he taught injured veterans to fly. He was proud of his contribution and, as well as teaching, made a great friend in one of the students. He was immensely pleased when the student qualified as an instructor. In March 2018, after logging more than 20,000 flying hours, Des suddenly suffered a stroke. He spent two months in hospital and, when he came home, he embarked on an intensive programme of physiotherapy. His determination, strength and tenacity got him out of his wheelchair and walking with a stick, and he went from having no speech to cracking his one-liners again. However, on 1st November 2018, Des died peacefully at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, with his wife Sarah at his side. He will always be remembered as a devoted husband to Sarah, a loving dad to Sean, Emilie and Max, and his wonderful qualities will become a long-lasting legacy to his family. Des will be sadly missed by everyone who was fortunate to have been a part of his life, as will his distinctive cheerful voice from across the airwaves of the North Sea. By Captain Peter Boston OBITUARY