DOZENS of gingers will take to the skies as they attempt to break an unofficial world record for “most redheads on a plane” this month.
Airline Flybe hopes to claim the title for their flight from Inverness to Amsterdam.
The flight, which takes place on August 30, will see a host of flame-haired passengers attempt to set the record, including notable celebrity guests.
Even the plane’s crew will be made up of gingers.
Flybe’s Gaeron Kayley will captain the special flight, which will pack an Embraer 175 jet to capacity.
The final destination is Breda, in the Netherlands, where it’s flame haired flyers will attend the annual Redhead Festival.
The three-day events starts on August 30 and will finish on the official World Red Hair Day on September 1.
Pilot Gaeron Kayley said: “I’ve always been proud of my natural red hair so it’s a real honour for me to pilot this special flight from Inverness to Amsterdam.
“The rest of the crew are redheads too and we are all really looking forward to welcoming many others on board as passengers.
“We hope everyone will enjoy the experience!”
All 92 people on board will be natural redheads, with dyed imitations not accepted, and they are being offered a free return flight by Flybe.
Simon Lilley, Flybe’s director of marketing said: “This is a fun initiative and we hope that everyone enjoys being a part of what we hope will create a little bit of aviation history – not to mention having the opportunity to receive two flights for the price of one!”
The record breaking attempt follows on from a “Ginger Pride Walk” which is to be held in Edinburgh tomorrow (sat).
The high-profile celebrity guests’ identities will remain under wraps until later this month.
Organisers of the Dutch redhead festival expect more than 5000 redheads to attend.
Around 13% of Scot’s sport the rare hair colour, significantly higher than the 2-3% average around the rest of the world.
An army of gingers will gather on the streets of Edinburgh tomorrow (sat) to march against “gingerism” – a form of discrimination they say has affected them all.
Gingerism
Canadian comedian Shawn Hitchins will be heading the march, and believes it is time for the red-headed of society to stand up and be proud of their hair.
Hitchins said: “Internationally, red hair is tied to the identity of Scotland and should be cause for celebration.
“It’s totally tongue-in-cheek, but in light of the recent attention to bullying and gingerism we can send a message to all that says, It Gets Redder.”
And organisers of the Redhead festival in Amsterdam are hoping to follow on from the success of the march.
Mike Klaassen, of RooiHarigen , Breda’s Redhead Days Festival said: “Maybe this march in Edinburgh might lead to a similar redhead festival to the one we have in Holland.
“I’m looking forward to my visit to Scotland which has the largest number of red haired people in the world, and then taking the special Flybe Redhead Flight on Friday 30 August from Inverness back to Amsterdam for the start of our Redhead Days Festival.”
Many Scottish celebrities sport the unusual hair colour including Ewan McGregor, Karen Gillan – and of course groundskeeper Willie from the Simpsons.
Their typically pale skin and hair colour were thought to be the sign of being a witch, werewolf or vampire in the middle ages.
The mutant gene only appears in individual’s when two copies of a recessive gene lead to the mutation of the MC1R protein.
