In England, 99-year-old Helga Duffy has set a world record by flying on the wing of a biplane. According to the BBC, her achievement was officially recorded by representatives of Guinness World Records, who presented her with a certificate at Cirencester Airfield in Gloucestershire.
Mrs Duffy, who lives in a care home, saw news of the flight of the previous record holder, 97-year-old Betty Bromidge, and decided to repeat it. In Helga Duffy's own words, she was so inspired that she was not frightened at all. Her nieces watched the flight and said their aunt had long wanted to do something out of the ordinary.
She simply wanted to prove that, though she is now 99, she is still the same woman she was many years ago.
— Jackie Rose, the record holder's niece
With her flight, Helga Duffy also raised more than £1,300 for a local air ambulance service. Betty Bromidge, the previous record holder, has already congratulated her and joked that she would reclaim the title when she turns one hundred.
Letters