A high-flying teenager proved the sky was the limit when he arrived at his school prom by helicopter.
When 16-year-old Max Johnson, from Walsall, finished his studies, he was eager to end the school year in style.
Looking every bit a superstar, the year 11 leaver booked himself a very unusual ride.
- Advertisement -
In a video, Max – dressed in a sharp suit – looks every bit the celebrity, as he poses with his sisters, Ebony, 19, and Amber, 11, before strapping himself in for the flight.
“Everyone arrives by sports car and I like to stand out,” he told What’s The Jam.
“I wanted to arrive in style and Mum and Dad made that happen.
“My heart was pounding when we took off, but I loved it.
“I could see for miles.
- Advertisement -
“The views were amazing and something I won’t forget.
“We hovered above the venue and circled around before we landed.
“All my friends were cheering and pointing and calling out my name, it was great.”
- Advertisement -
The youngster’s parents chose to hire the helicopter to give their son a night to remember.
Proud mum, Stephanie Johnson, 36, said: “He will have memories to last a lifetime and we wanted to do something special and memorable for him.
“He loved it.
“We wanted to treat him because school wasn’t always easy for him and completing his exams is a big milestone.
“He really got his head down and smashed his GCSEs, he even sat his maths exam on his 16th birthday.”
Max’s Year 11 leavers prom was held at Chase Golf Club on Cannock Chase but pupils at the school in Staffordshire didn’t automatically get a ticket for the end-of-year celebration.
Stephanie said: “Students had to earn their prom ticket with good behaviour and grades, making sure they had no detention, truancy or late marks.
“Max first asked for a helicopter as a joke but I told him if you want it and you get your head down and work hard, then you can have it.
“We have taught our children that if you work hard then you can have nice things.”
While some may think it’s an extravagant spend, the mum-of-three believes that boys deserve to be spoiled on special occasions, just like girls.
Stephanie, who works as a hair and make-up artist, said: “Like weddings, proms very often centre around the young ladies and their dresses, which typically cost hundreds of pounds.
“They also have their hair and make-up done and have special transport too.
“We paid £750 for the flight experience but we had quotes over £1,000 for him to arrive in a sports car.”
The family booked AA helicopters and Max and his older sister enjoyed a 15-minute flight over Cannock Chase, after taking off from Half Penny Airfield near Wolverhampton.
Sister Ebony joined Max because she didn’t get to go to prom.
She left school during Covid and after finishing her exams during lockdown, sadly her leavers celebrations were cancelled.
Max chose to keep his choice of transport a secret from his classmates and teachers to make his arrival all the more impressive.
After touching down safely, he was chauffeured in a golf buggy to the venue entrance, to enjoy the celebrations and end-of-year awards, of which Max won two.
He said: “I wanted to win the best vehicle award and so the competition was on.
“Other lads arrived in style too, some hired The Mystery Machine, a bin lorry, tractor and even a Lamborghini but arriving by helicopter won the award and I also won best dressed.”
Despite his lavish mode of transport, Stephanie says her son is a “down to earth” lad and she is very proud of his achievements so far in life.
She said: “Max is a stand-out kid, he is a charmer, the teachers love him, a real cheeky chappy.
“He is certainly an individual.
“He doesn’t follow the crowd but everyone likes him.”
The popular 16-year-old decided against a prom date, joking that it would cause too much of a headache to choose just one lucky lady.
Instead, he spent the evening surrounded by friends and later hosted the after-pa for his mates.
Max added: “It was a great night and certainly one to remember.
“Back at school for the final days of term, we’ve all signed each other’s shirts, that’s an old leaver’s tradition that continues every year.
“[Now], I’m looking to do a trade apprenticeship.
“I’m also a keen striker and I’m keen to pursue a career in modelling.”
The sky’s the limit!
