Plucky East Preston pensioner set for aerial adventure

Brave Jean – who earned her pilot’s licence in the 1960s but hasn’t flown for many years – said she was looking forward to her aerial adventure, which she is doing in memory of her late husband, Brian.

Jean said: “Most people say I’m mad and I do do some strange things. People are shocked when I tell them that I will be doing a wing walk.

“But if you’re going to go out, you might as well go out in style on an aeroplane.”

Sports-mad Jean is currently serving her final few days as the ladies’ captain of the Littlehampton Gold Club’s, where she has been a member for about a decade.

As soon as her captaincy is complete, she said she would be ‘pushing hard’ to raise as much cash as possible.

The plucky pensioner aims to drum-up £1,500 from her wing walk, which will take place on May 30, at the Goodwood Aerodrome.

She added: “The sheer excitement of doing it is building. It’s a shame I won’t be flying over the golf club.”

Jean’s beloved husband died suddenly in July, 2011. It came after a stroke, earlier in life, which had damaged his heart. She said the money raised would support life-saving research looking into how stem cells could be used to repair heart defects.

“At the moment, the heart is rejecting stem cells,” she said. “But if we can make it work, it will help save a lot of lives.

“If that technology had been working when Brian was alive, it could have saved his life.”

Jean is appealing for help in raising more sponsorship cash. Those wishing to support her can do so by visiting her JustGiving page.