UP, UP AND AWAY…Pilot Brian takes Kathleen up on a flight over Derry for her 90th birthday
And Kathleen McConnell got the chance to mark her milestone birthday in a way she’ll never forget after taking to the skies in a gyrocopter over Derry.
Retired teacher Kathleen will turn 90 this Sunday.
But she is no stranger to adventure, having undertaken a number of world tours in years past.
Kathleen attended Limavady Grammar School in her youth and is well known locally having taught Domestic Science at Foyle College.
Her special birthday treat came about courtesy of pilot Brian McCafferty, who is the owner and operator of a Magni M24 Gyrocopter based at City Of Derry Airport, and who piloted the flight.
A golfer, she is also a member of Greencastle Golf Club in Inishowen, and is a keen driver of motor vehicles as well.
Brian (55), who lives in Donegal, attained his Private Pilot’s Licence for Gyrocopters PPL(G) in 2018 and purchased the gyrocopter almost immediately thereafter.
A gyrocopter is a rotary wing aircraft that displays a mix of the flying characteristics of a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft.
The Magni M24 is an Italian built single-engine aircraft with a primary structure made of steel and a carbon fibre fuselage. Normal cruise speed is 90mph. It can operate up to 10,000ft and has a range of up to 350 miles on a full fuel tank.
Speaking after the flight on Monday, Brian, who had been approached by relatives about the possibility of the flight, said: “It was an honour to take Kathleen up and I can honestly say she was one of the most relaxed passengers I’ve ever had.
“She seemed to really enjoy the flight from take-off to touchdown. We flew down the Foyle, over the bridges, and down to New Buildings.
“Kathleen also took the controls and piloted the aircraft for a few minutes during which time she completed two 360° turns perfectly.”
Brian added: “We also did a low-level flight over Kathleen’s home in the Waterside, that was particularly fun for her.”
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