Adrenaline junkie, 73, completes charity wing walk
Joy McFarland spent 12 minutes strapped to a biplane in midair
- Published
A 73-year-old Derbyshire woman says she had a “fabulous” weekend - standing on the wings of a plane in flight.
Joy McFarland from Ilkeston spent around 12 minutes strapped to a biplane as part of a Christmas present from her husband Dave, to raise money for Diabetes UK.
A self-confessed adrenaline junkie, Mrs McFarland was made to wait until last to fly on Saturday at Wickenby Airfield in Lincolnshire.
But she said that as soon as she had landed from her 500ft, 100mph flight, she wanted to do it again.
She told the BBC: “We were blessed with the weather, it was absolutely amazing.
Mrs McFarland, centre, had a "fabulous" day with Stacey Smalley from Diabetes UK and daughter Hannah, who has been diabetic since the age of seven
“I don’t think I’ve got words to describe it.
“By the time I got there, I just wanted it to happen; I’d seen all these other planes go.
“The worst part of it was climbing up onto the rig, as you’ve got to get on to the top wing of the biplane.
“I was in the air for about 12 minutes, as soon as I landed, I wanted to go back up again.
“We were flying straight, tipping to the side. It was just like being inside an airplane - the only difference was the wind rushing and my cheeks flopping a bit.”
Mrs McFarland said it was just like a catching a normal flight - but windier
The challenge was the latest fundraiser by Mrs McFarland for Diabetes UK, a cause close to her heart.
Her daughter Hannah, now 44, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of seven.
Mrs McFarland’s wing walk challenge has raised more than £1,000 for the charity.
Stacey Smalley, from Diabetes UK Midlands, said: "When you meet Joy, you realise she's young at heart - age won't stop her.
“We are so grateful to Joy for taking on this amazing challenge to do a wing walk in aid of Diabetes UK.
"Every two minutes someone is diagnosed with diabetes, we estimate that more than five million people in the UK are living with diabetes, which is an all-time high - one in 15 of us is now living with diabetes.”
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