Wingwalking granny from Tallington raises money for Magpas air ambulance

When it comes to raising adrenaline levels, a fearless granny is setting a high standard for the younger generations.

Gaynor Murray, 67, has just wingwalked for the first time with her daughter, Leigh Marlow.

On Sunday (August 20), Gaynor, who lives in Tallington, was strapped to the wing of a bi-plane after a 10-minute safety video.

First to fly was Gaynor, wearing goggles and earplugs for the wind, and briefed in using hand signals to communicate with the pilot.

Her biggest struggle was climbing up onto the wing but with a bit of help from behind she was in place and strapped in ready for “an experience and a half”.

Gaynor didn’t need to use the ‘thumbs down’ to warn the pilot she’d had enough. Instead she was busy making heart-shaped hand signs to encourage him to dip and dive - and thinking about how the wind might be smoothing away her wrinkles.

“I knew I was only going to do it once and so I might as well enjoy it while I was up there,” she added, explaining that a usual flight lasts 10 minutes but she was treated to extra time in the air to give her the adrenaline experience she craved.

“The pilot kept acting as if we were going to land but then pulling up away from the airstrip again,” said Gaynor.

Beforehand Leigh, who lives in Bourne, was more nervous than her mum but both accomplished their mission and said they would do it again. The pair raised £1,500 for Magpas Air Ambulance, a charity helicopter and medical crew covering parts of this region.

“Dad was in the RAF and he would have been proud of me, I think,” said Gaynor, whose mum’s death in 2015 prompted her to lose weight and become more active - and more daring - while raising money for good causes.

One of their biggest supporters is Gaynor’s husband, Gordon, who was watching the wingwalk from the ground.

“Gordon was very proud of me,” said Gaynor. “He would have stayed there all day watching the wingwalkers.

“He’s disabled and loves for me to get out and about doing these things. No way in a million years was he going to miss it.”

Also with their eyes on the sky were their son, Martyn, his wife, Victoria, and their children, Maisea, 10, eight-year-old Viola, and six-year-old Kaspa - who could barely believe that “Nanny’s on the plane!”.

With their flight from Wickenby Aerodrome near Lincoln complete, Gaynor and Leigh are looking for inspiration for their next challenge.

So far they have been water-skiing, abseiled face-first down the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and walked the Honister Pass ‘infinity bridge’ 2,000 feet up in the Lake District mountains.

Anyone with a suggestion for them can email it to suzanne.moon@iliffepublishing.co.uk

Article written by Madeleine Brooks