An interview with Pat Pearce MBE…from serving in the skies to changing young lives with Dreamflight

Pat Pearce has enjoyed a truly remarkable 39-year career in aviation flying with BOAC and British Airways, beginning as a stewardess and rising to the position of Cabin Services Director. Her journey, which includes experience on aircraft ranging from the DC-3 to the Boeing 777, reflects the evolution of air travel over the decades. Among the many memorable moments from her time in the skies, Pat fondly recalls the honour of flying with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Equally remarkable – arguably even more so – is her role as the founder of the charity Dreamflight. Each year, the organisation raises enough funds to charter an airliner, taking 192 children with serious illnesses or disabilities on a once-in-a-lifetime, nine-day trip to Orlando. Over 6,500 children have now experienced their ‘holiday of a lifetime’. This incredible achievement was rightfully recognized with the awarding of an MBE.

Pat Pearce MBE talked with Sir George Cox CRAeS on 14 February 2025 for the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals. … . The podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The transcript of the recording can be accessed on the National Aerospace Library's catalogue