We can now add the great news that Danielle Hughes has confirmed as being able join us for the event, giving us the chance to find out first hand what it is like to wing-walk during the team’s displays.
Danielle has been dreaming of becoming a wing lady from the tender age of 6 after her parents took her to a local airshow for the first time. It was there she experienced the sheer spectacle of the glamorous wing walkers in action on top of their colourful vintage biplane aircraft. This greatly inspired her and she now had a burning ambition to wing walk that she was determined to achieve.
She has always been an active person and she really likes a challenge in life, especially if there is a competitive element to it. At the age of 14, she became the then national Tae Kwon Do Black Belt Second Dan British Champion! She likes to keep her fitness up in her spare time by jogging and going to the gym.
Danielle loves every aspect of the wing walking display routine. She particularly enjoys the thrill of climbing around the aircraft in flight! These position changes happen at various points during the display and require a lot of physical strength to achieve. As if this wasn’t difficult enough, she is often working against a 100 mph winds at the same time as the aeroplane is moving through the air! Her favourite manouevre of this type, is known as the ‘Arabesque’. This is where she will stand on the rear aeroplane cockpit and face the crowd waving at the same time! This happens at the end of the show just as she returns into the aircraft for landing.
Just when you thought there was no end to her talents, Danielle has recently gained her flying licence herself! Her next goal is to become a military pilot! Watch this space … The team pilots are now quaking in their boots as they’re convinced she’s eventually going to be after their jobs
Tickets are available from http://www.tickets.avrovulcan.com/
It had been arranged for the BBMF Lancaster crew to also join us but they had to cancel their participation in the Clacton airshow and their subsequent arrival at Southend due to crew sickness. Luckily that didn’t happen after the evenings BBQ otherwise the Trust may have had serious questions to answer! 😯
Jon Bond, the RAF Tucano display pilot, did join us and I hope has not suffered any after effects. Jon arriving off slot from Clacton:
With the latest edition going to press last week, tomorrow’s event will offer the chance to hear how this ‘bible’ is put together.
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