“Wing walking keeps me going and at my age I wouldn’t be alive without, it’s what I live for!”
28TH August 2014: The one man phenomenon that is 94 year old wing walker Tom Lackey kicked off the seventh Bournemouth Air Festival in style. He took to the skies on the wings of a Boeing Stearman biplane at 1.15pm on Thursday 28th August performing death defying aerial acrobatics to the awe-inspired Bournemouth crowds.
In Tom’s words: “It’s been a fantastic and unbelievable experience. You’ll never need a facelift once you’ve had a wing walk!”
See Go-Pro footage of his memorable Bournemouth Air Festival display – from his unique bird’s eye view here: https://youtu.be/qcQ5z0bZLaM
Tom’s first wing walk was at the age of 80, having just lost his wife he decided that sitting at home and moping was not for him. He is now 95 and is a Guinness book of records holder for the following:
·Aged 85 the oldest person to do a Loop the loop on the Wing.
·In 2009 he crossed the Channel from Calais to a field in Dover to co-inside with Bleroit taking the same route 100 years before. In 2011, he did a double crossing of the same route!
·In 2013 he went from Castle Kennedy in Scotland to Londonderry, N!, on the Wing a total flight time of 1hour and 21 minutes.
·On May 22nd 2014 he went from Lands End to St Mary’s Scilly Isles 30 miles across the water on his 95th Birthday
Bringing land, sea and air together, complimented with an incredible Night Air programme the firmly established Bournemouth Air Festival is more than just an air show!
For more information visit bournemouthair.co.uk, follow the Festival Facebook page bournemouthairfestival or follow the team on Twitter @bmthairfest.
