100-year-old Edna takes flight

A daring great great grandmother felt sky-high during her 100th birthday celebrations - as she hopped in a glider and soared thousands of feet above the ground. EdnaArnold, fromtheOrtons in Peterborough, was taken 3,200 feet into the sky to mark herspecialbirthday, thanksto theCambridgeGlidingCentre.

Edna, who has never learned to drive, had previously suggested her longevity could be attributed to taking life at a slower pace.

After getting her feet back on solid ground, she said the experience was ‘very enjoyable,’ adding: “I would recommend it to anyone. Nothing to be frightened of at all.”

Edna’s glider waslaunched by’aerotow,’ which involves a tug plane towing the glider on a rope to the desired height. The rope is then released by the glider and the pilot has a good chance of finding a thermal, (bubbles of hot air rising, from the ground) with which they climb to even greater heights.

Andrew Watson, the pilot who flew her, described her as “very calm throughout the flight.’

Ednahadflowninairliners before, but had never been in small aircraft .

Granddaughter Caroline East also had a flight, to mark her50thbirthday. Shesaid:“It went really well - it was really enjoyable. I think Nana was even keener than I was. She went first, so I had to go afterwards.

“Nana had been in a hot air balloonabout10yearsago, but she has never done anything else like this before.

“But she has now and said she is going to bow out gracefully, and not do anything like this again.

“Mysister, Suzanne, decided Nana should mark the special birthday somehow.”

Edna’s birthday wasonOctober 11, and she marked the day itself with afternoon tea with members of her family.

ahead of takeoff