Inspired by a Swanage Carnival air display, Lyn Fegan from Swanage in Dorset is to wingwalk on a plane to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity.
Lyn will bravely take to the skies on Friday 2nd October 2026 from Compton Abbas airfield near Shaftesbury, which is owned by film director Guy Ritchie.
Lyn was inspired by an air display by the AeroSuperBatics during Swanage Carnival in 2019
Wingwalkers get a great view from the top of the plane!
Celebrating her 70th birthday
Wingwalking involves being strapped to the top wing of a biplane, which is a thrilling experience requiring a daredevil attitude.
This is quite a contrast to Lyn’s day job as a family, wedding, and funeral celebrant but she says she wanted to do something different to mark her 70th birthday.
Lyn said:
“I’ve been talking for years about doing a wingwalk, after seeing a display over Swanage Bay some years ago. I said then that I thought it looked fun.
“My family gave me one of those looks that meant, ‘Here she goes again’ – I thought my 70th birthday might be the time to actually get on and do it!
“I wanted to celebrate my birthday by doing some good instead of people spending money on presents. My parents both died of brain tumours and a good friend is currently living with the devastating consequences of the condition.
“Research into brain tumours is very underfunded compared with many other cancers, so choosing this cause to raise money for was a ‘no-brainer’ for me – see what I did there!”
Lyn says the scariest thing she has done before this challenge, is hold a golden eagle
“I’ve not done anything as daring as this before”
Lyn, whose actual birthday was in June this year, says friends and family including her husband Declan and daughter Kate have been supportive of her challenge. She added:
“There’s been some surprise, some raised eyebrows and variations on ‘You’re bonkers!’, and some people saying ‘We’d expect nothing less’.
“I’ve flown in a light aircraft a couple of times, but beyond that, I’ve not done anything as daring as this before. I’m assuming that, as I’m going to be strapped to the plane, provided it doesn’t fall out of the sky, I’ll be fine!
“A very small part of me does worry I might make a fool of myself by not coping as well as I expect – but I’m not really concerned about that. I think it will be fun. And if you can’t have fun when you’re 70, when can you?!
“I’m very frightened of birds, so the scariest thing I’ve ever done before this was to hold a golden eagle on my arm. This should be a doddle compared to that!
“A huge thank you to everyone who has donated. I’m so grateful for their support. I’m really looking forward to my wingwalk now. It’s a great way to try something a bit different, and raise money for charity at the same time.”
Lyn will take off from Compton Abbas airfield near Shaftesbury in North Dorset
Film director Guy Ritchie took over the airfield, which is close to his home, in 2023
“Truly fighting brain tumours on all fronts”
So far the fundraising is going well, with Lyn already surpassing her original £1,500 target. She is now well on the way towards raising more than an amazing £2,000.
Lucy Callaghan from the The Brain Tumour Charity, said:
“A huge thank you to Lyn for taking on this challenge. Every day in the UK, 35 people hear the words, ‘You have a brain tumour’ – and unlike other cancers, survival rates have not improved over the last 40 years.
“We are leading the way in changing this and truly fighting brain tumours on all fronts through our work.
“It’s through the incredible efforts of people like Lyn that we can change these shocking statistics in the future and bring hope to the thousands of people who are diagnosed with a brain tumour every year.”
Further information
- Donate to Lyn’s Just Giving page
- More about The Brain Tumour Charity
