She leaves for the airport in her mother’s old flight attendant uniform. “I’m really looking forward to it! Really fun!”, Quirine exclaims enthusiastically, as she proudly grabs her suitcase and walks out the door.
Quirine has the rare Snijders Blok Campeau syndrome. This is a brain disorder that, among other things, causes her to walk less well and to have lower intelligence than her peers. There are only 200 known cases of it in the entire world.
At a business park near the airport, Quirine and the other children are met by special vehicles. They get a lift to the airport with trucks, ambulances, an old police car, convertibles and trikes.
“The children are so enthusiastic, which is wonderful to see,” says pilot Johan Huizing of the High Flyers Foundation. “Most of the children have never flown before so it’s great to take them along. They are often tense, but in the end they all have a great time.”
After checking her boarding pass, it is Quirine’s turn to board one of the sports planes. Pilot Erik quickly puts her suitcase in the luggage hold, fastens the belt and then she takes to the air.