Durham Tees Valley Airport is becoming more attractive to international travellers with the help of a makeover. But its neighbouring flying school is also looking at ways of improving its business. Business Editor Julia Breen looks at how Northern Aviation is attracting more people to the thrills of flying.

THE smell of aviation fuel, the sound of the engine revving, the thrill of taking to the skies in a tiny plane...

Becoming a pilot is a childhood dream for millions, most of whom never realise their fantasy.

But Northern Aviation is looking at ways of making flying more accessible and getting more people into the air.

From airborne corporate treasure hunts to courses helping people to tackle their fear of flying, it is trying to broaden its market place and its appeal.

The man behind the transformation is operations manager Lee Scott, who left the same role at Durham Tees Valley Airport nearly a year ago.

His last job at the airport was overseeing US President George Bush's arrival on Air Force One during his visit to Prime Minister Tony Blair's Sedgefield constituency.

Now he is building on the strengths of Northern Aviation - a flying club formed by the merger of Teesside Aeroclub and Cleveland Flying School two years ago.

At the top end, earlier this year it began offering an air taxi that flies businessmen, footballers and celebrities all over Britain and Northern Europe.

Although the price of a return flight to Northern Europe in a five-seater air taxi is £2,500, Mr Scott said the savings, in terms of time and hotel bills, could make economic sense.

Mr Scott said: "It is not always cheap in terms of cash, but the air taxi is cheap in terms of being cost-effective, as there are no hotel bills for up to five people.

"It is also tailored to the individual - we can fly them at any time they want and there is no waiting around in airports for delayed or cancelled flights.

"We have four of five of the Newcastle footballers who use the service on a regular basis.

"After a match, when they want to get down to the south coast or wherever, we are ready to take them and it is the convenience factor for them.

"In terms of corporate travel, we fly people whose time is valuable to them. Teesside always used to have big engineering companies, big industry, and half of that has gone now.

"There is a different view on corporate travel and it is about being cost-effective as well as not too time-consuming."

Former England cricketer Ian Botham is also a regular user of Northern Aviation's air taxi.

From next spring, the company will also have a licence for its helicopter taxi service, which will fly people from Durham Tees Valley to hotels and other destinations around the North-East.

"There are several hotels in the region that are really interested," said Mr Scott.

"We also have a couple of clients who we know will use the service. We can fly them into Teesside on the air taxi and then take them on in the helicopter."

Another new direction for Northern Aviation is corporate bonding activities.

"We had a couple of inquiries from people who were interested in doing the corporate days. They wanted something a bit different from the usual paintballing and go-karting - that is all getting a bit stale now.

"Everyone that comes out on the corporate days gets a flying lesson, and they all look at the maps and direct the route they are going to fly, look at the flight brief, and all team-build while they are preparing for the flight.

"With groups of business people, there is much more interconnecting going on than you would think."

Peter Troy, chairman of the Darlington branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, said there was a need for more corporate bonding sessions because of the direction business was taking in the region.

He said: "Big companies in the North-East are not really here anymore and what has been left is a lot of smaller businesses that, by definition, interact with each other a lot more.

"We will get, for example, an IT business that will be in partnership with a human resources business on a project for a third party.

"With these kind of things, there is a big project, a lot of money at stake, and lots of people with different attitudes.

"They need to start to gel together for the project to work, and a corporate bonding session is the best way of doing that.

"A flying session is ideal because it is not too physically demanding, like paintballing, and everyone is in a bit of a comfort zone, not worried about not being able to keep up."

Northern Aviation is aiming to carry out corporate treasure hunts in aeroplanes.

Mr Scott said it worked the same way as a conventional treasure hunt, with businesspeople directing an experienced pilot to different points on the map, where they can open an envelope telling the location of the next clue.

Other plans for the future include equipping an aircraft for disabled flyers - the only one in the north - in a scheme developed with the British Disabled Flying Association.

Northern Aviation, which has 450 members, will carry on instructing people towards their pilot licence and even their commercial pilot licence.

The company also instructs people in helicopter flying and aerobatics.

And then there are the courses helping people to conquer their fear of flying.

Mr Scott said: "When I worked at the airport, I saw a lot of people who were afraid of flying.

"It is not always just the actual flying, but the build-up to it and the alien environment of the airport.

"It is very confusing for people who only fly once a year to remember what they are supposed to do, and get through security, and many get to the airport four hours before their flight time and get themselves into a state.

"We are going to work with a company that specialises in relaxation techniques, and then get people used to the airport and the whole procedure of going through security.

"Then we will get them used to the aeroplane, and then, finally, get them airborne.

"If it makes the difference between someone going on holiday and not going on holiday, then it is worth it."