00:00At 99, Helga Duffy has taken an extraordinary route to a world record,
00:06standing on the wing of a plane above Gloucestershire.
00:10Guinness World Records confirms Helga is the oldest female wing walker.
00:14Its official record listing says she was 99 years and 21 days old
00:20when the achievement was verified at RFC Rencombe Airfield near Sirencester.
00:26A night supervisor at Helga's car home in Wiltshire suggested the flight.
00:30Helga said she'd never heard of wing walking before that conversation.
00:34Her first attempt was cancelled because of engineering difficulties with the aircraft,
00:39but she was determined to try again.
00:43She was secured to the top of a small plane in specialist clothing.
00:47Helga had concerns about getting on board because of osteoarthritis and a painful right knee,
00:53but she completed an eight-minute flight longer than the five minutes she'd been required to spend in the air.
01:00Helga described the experience as unlike anything she'd felt before.
01:04The aircraft climbed to around 1,000 metres where she took three deep breaths.
01:10She also said she felt tightly secured and safe throughout the flight.
01:14She later compared the feeling of being up in the air to an experience she could hardly put into words.
01:20In her comments afterwards, she said she felt so good during and after the flight
01:25and reflected that it was something she'd never experienced before.
01:30The record attempt had a fundraising purpose too.
01:33Helga raised more than £1,600 for Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance.
01:39The idea was also encouraged by her family.
01:42Her niece, Jackie Rose, had heard about the previous record holder, Betty Bromage,
01:46who completed a wing walk at the age of 97 in August.
01:50Guinness World Records identifies Bromage as the previous holder, 97 years and 123 days old.
01:58Jackie said she admired her aunt all the more because she knew how much pain her knee was causing her.
02:03She described the atmosphere when Helga landed, saying people were clapping
02:07and it was lovely to see someone doing something they enjoyed.
02:11Guinness World Record adjudicator Will Munford presented Helga with her official certificate
02:17after the flight, which is now being displayed at her care home.
02:21And the previous record holder has not ruled out another attempt.
02:25Betty congratulated Helga while joking she was looking forward to turning 100
02:29so she could try to take the record back.
02:32For Helga, the achievement is about more than a certificate.
02:35She spent much of her working life as a nurse and wants others not to dismiss
02:40what they might be capable of because of their age.
02:44Her message is simple.
02:46Try anything.
02:47Don't ever say, I can't do anything.
02:49You can't see until you've tried.
02:53Helga's record is a remarkable personal milestone
02:57and the fundraising adds another dimension.
