Elderly woman fulfills wish of flying small plane again

By Ellie Forbes via SWNS

A 93-year-old care home resident fulfilled her wish to fly a small plane again - and said it brought back happy memories.

Betty Buckland soared 2,000 ft above Edinburgh when she took to the skies in a Cessna aircraft, flying at 150mph.

Betty often visited America on holidays during her younger years to stay with her family in Seattle, and her cousin was a pilot who owned his very own aircraft.

During these summer holidays, Betty sat alongside her cousin in his Piper PA-28 Cherokee plane – and he occasionally even let her take the controls.

Betty told care home staff it was her dream to fly a plane again and was delighted when the trip to the Royal Air Force Kirknewton, in Edinburgh, was arranged.

After a bit of training Betty took to the skies for a morning flight which was captured on stunning GoPro footage.

Betty, a resident at Care UK’s Lauder Lodge in Wakefield Avenue, Edinburgh, said: "It was a wonderful day and we had an amazing view of the Kelpies at Falkirk.

“Being in a small plane again was thrilling and brought back so many happy memories.”

The flying session took place as part of the Wishing Tree, an initiative launched by Care UK.

It allows residents to suggest ideas for new hobbies they’d like to try, places they’d like to visit or even activities linked to past careers.

Anees Riaz, home manager at Lauder Lodge, said: “We love to go the extra mile for residents here at Lauder Lodge, and our wishing tree is a fantastic way to understand what’s really important to residents.

“We are thrilled we could help Betty to reminisce and get the chance to soar high in a plane once again.

“It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved and it was wonderful to see the smile on Betty’s face as she landed after her flight.

“A big thank you to Andy again for helping to make this wish come true.

“I cannot wait to see what wish we organize next – the sky really is the limit.”