Walter, 93, takes to the sky (From Salisbury Journal)
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Walter, 93, takes to the sky
6:50am Thursday 28th June 2012 in News By Elizabeth Kemble
Walter Cox prepares to take off
A 96-YEAR-OLD man from Salisbury had an exhilarating ride 3,000ft up in the air after winning a raffle prize to take a flight in a microlight.
Walter Cox, a resident at Steve Biddle House in Hudson Road, cruised at 90mph, taking in the birds-eye view over the south west on a trip that went above the New Forest and down to the south coast.
Watching the take-off and landing at Old Sarum Airfield were fellow residents from the almshouse who came to give their support.
Mr Cox, who is the oldest passenger taken up by pilot Mark McClelland, said: “It was absolutely fabulous, I could see everything. It was well worth it.”
The sights of the south west were further enhanced on Wednesday by blue skies and bright sunshine.
And while it was the first time he had flown in more than five decades, Mr Cox was not in the least bit nervous, recalling an epic trip home during his time in the Royal Artillery, involving a seaplane from Karachi and a Dakota airplane.
Joanne Matthews, warden manager at Steve Biddle House, which ran the raffle competition at Christmas, said: “He was totally elated, just grinning from ear to ear.”
