Nonagenarian wing walker

I recently did a photo shoot for a Pensions firm. The subject was a 90 year old wing walker.

Tom Lackey thought long and hard about his own future after his wife died. He retired in his seventies after selling his building firm and looked forward to spending time with his wife. Her untimely death from Cancer left Tom devastated.

As someone who had always been very active Tom went to his local aerodrome and began flying lessons; from there his interest in aviation grew quickly.

Tom is no ordinary pensioner and flying wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to do something to that would raise money for local charities and for cancer research. He came up with the idea of doing a wing walk and was soon regularly taking to the skies on top of a Boeing Stearman.

Although unable to raise money directly from wing walks, Tom regularly gives talks and presentations to companies and groups and has raised over £1,000,000. Much of the costs associated with his charity raising have come from his own pocket. At one point Tom thought he would not be able to continue fund raising as he could no longer afford it. In a further act of charity he chose to take out a deferred mortgage using an equity release scheme on his house in order to carry on. As well as wing walking he is also now able to enjoy an occasional round the world cruise.

Despite recently suffering some ill health and knowing also that one of his sons is terminally ill with cancer Tom Is determined to continue his wing walking activities throughout 2011 and already has diary bookings up to November.

Tom holds four wing walking world records including flying across the English Channel on top of a Stearman which he did aged 89.

If you’d like Tom to visit a group that you are a member of and give a talk in aid of the charities that he supports, please let me know. He is based in the Midlands and as you might expect still drives himself to his talks.