A REDLYNCH man is set to test his head for heights by taking part in a wing walk to help those with sight loss.

Angus Malcom is taking on the high-flying challenge on Sunday, June 30 at Compton Abbas Airfield is aid of the Macular Society.

The gravity-defying challenge will see Angus strapped to the wing of a 1942 Boeing Stearman and while airborne he will fly between 100 to 700ft and reach speeds of up to 110mph.

Angus, 60, chose to support the Macular Society as a thank-you to the charity for helping his mother, Mary, who has had age-related macular degeneration (AMD) for more than a decade.

He said: “I do get the urge to take on a challenge like this every so often – it helps to keep you on your toes, and it definitely gets the adrenaline going. I took part in a charity cycle ride from Scotland to Winchester some years ago, and I did go up in a Harvard aircraft to do some aerobatics over the Solent as well. Both of those were great fun, but I’ve never done anything quite like this before.

“The society has given lots of support to mum over the years, so I wanted to do something to help them continue the great work they do. She’s 94 now and in the past 10 years or so, her sight has deteriorated to the point where she only now has limited peripheral vision – her central vision has gone. She used to cook, bake, sew, do needlepoint, glass engraving, read the newspapers and loved watching television, but isn’t able to do any of those things now."

Macular disease is the biggest cause of blindness in the UK. Nearly 1.5 million people are currently affected and many more are at risk.

There is still no cure and most types of the disease are not treatable.

Susie McCallum, of the Macular Society, said: “The money they raise for us is absolutely vital and we’re so grateful for their help.

"It enables us to provide support to people with macular disease and continue to fund medical research into the condition, so that it can be beaten in the future.”

To sponsor Angus go to JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/angus-malcom