Betty Bromage, 97, has become the oldest female wingwalker in the world, renewing her Guinness World Record by being strapped to a biplane and flown upside down. The flight took place on August 4 at RFC Rendcomb Airfield in Gloucestershire.
Bromage's passion for wingwalking began a decade ago, following the death of her husband. After moving into a care home, she sought ways to remain active and engaged, rather than be passively cared for. "I'd just get bored of life otherwise," Bromage stated. "The last thing on earth I want to do is lie in bed and have people run around after me. So, I want to do the things I can do."
Beyond personal fulfillment, Bromage uses her flights to raise money for Cheltenham General Hospital, which provided her with care. She described the experience of dangling upside down as a "doddle," adding that the "fairground is a lot worse."
Four years ago, at age 93, Bromage first set the record as the oldest woman to wingwalk. She was inspired to break her own record again by a quote she saw on a hospital wall: "we pass through this world but once, any good we can do, any kindness we can show, do it now, do not defer or neglect, you will not pass this way again."
Her interest in wingwalking dates back to 1991, after seeing a woman standing on a plane in a chocolate bar advertisement.
Imogen Sims from the Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals charity called Bromage an "amazing" woman, noting that her "daring challenge to support our team...will make a difference for patients and staff."
Steve Bangs, chief executive of Pegasus Homes, which operates the care home where Bromage resides, stated that she is a "truly inspirational individual and living proof that later life should be about new experiences, with age being no barrier to adventure."
Bromage has indicated that she is already contemplating a "special" event for her 100th birthday. The 97-year-old retired nurse lives at Pegasus Homes’ Latheram House.