A RESIDENT at Firbank Residential Care Home in Shanklin enjoyed a day which brought the nostalgia of her time working in aviation flooding back.

Resident Pam Linfields, who previously worked for Saunders Roe, visited the Sandown Aviation Museum on Tuesday August 3 alongside activity co-ordinator, Paula Wathen.

Paula said: "The day was spectacular for Pam, the aviation museum pulled all the stops for her throughout the day and made her memories even more special."

Technician, Dave Needham, took her on a virtual tour of the Island, where she spotted many areas she recognised.

She particularly enjoyed the Saunders Roe section at the museum and connected with happy memories such as working on the Black Knight Rocket project in the research department in engineering.

A skydiving session took place during Pam's visit. She watched planes take off and land, with brave souls jumping for charity.

Pam — who is in her 80s — said she would have had a go herself if given the chance.

Paula added: "We visited the replica model of the Black Knight/Black Arrow Rocket where more memories came flooding out of working in a male environment but loving the work she did.

"Her grammar school master piqued her interest when recommending she become a trainee in engineering, she took his advice and that's where her career began."

Pam grew up in East Cowes during the Second World War, when her house was bombed and only a clock survived.

Her father, Harold Oatley, worked at Saunders Roe in the 1930s and her husband, Malcolm, also worked with the same company as an apprentice after moving down from London.

Her links to the aviation industry became ever stronger when Malcolm was called into National Service with the RAF, joining the Black Arrows Squadron as an airframe mechanic — predecessors to the Red Arrows we know today.

To continue her legacy, the youngest of her three sons became an engineer, while her two older sons both joined the RAF as apprentices, and have now retired from the forces.