Daredevil pensioners from Derbyshire have weekend to remember
and live on Freeview channel 276
On June 13, 75-year-old Ian Farr completed a wing walk – and the day after, his 80-year-old wife Patricia flew in a Spitfire and even took over the controls for a while.
Ian’s daring escapade saw him standing on the wing of a Boeing-Stearman Model 75 which took off from Wickenby Airfield, Lincolnshire, and was in flight for around 20 minutes.
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Hide Ad“It was exhilarating,” said Ian, of Wire Lane, Newton, near Tibshelf.
“I enjoyed every minute of it – and I’d quite like to do it again.”
The hair-raising challenge wasn’t just for fun – Ian raised around £500 which will be split between Ashgate Hospicecare and a local dementia group.
Patricia, better known as Pat, was a Battle of Britain baby and has always wanted to fly in a Spitfire.
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Hide AdThat is exactly what she did in the south of the country on June 14 – and she loved it.
“It was a simply wonderful experience,” she said.
“We flew over places including the Thames Estuary and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge – it was stunning to see the views from the sky in such an iconic aircraft.
“Under the instruction of the pilot, who had dual control, I even flew the plane for a little while which was absolutely extraordinary.”
Retired nurses Ian and Patricia thanked everyone involved in making their weekend so memorable and special.
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Hide Ad“It’s a weekend we won’t forget in a hurry!” the couple said.