Helga Duffy, 99, sets wingwalk record and raises air ambulance funds
Helga Duffy, 99, has become the world's oldest wingwalker after a flight in Gloucestershire, raising money for the air ambulance service.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Helga Duffy, a 99-year-old woman who moved to the UK from Germany in the 1950s, has become the world's oldest wingwalker after completing a flight in Gloucestershire. A Guinness World Records representative was present as she took to the wing, and the record was confirmed after she landed safely.
Mrs Duffy was the eldest of seven children and worked as a nurse in Germany. She had travelled widely but had never been strapped to the wing of a plane before. During the flight she asked how high she was and was told about 1,000 feet. She said she did not feel 99 and could hardly believe she was still here at nearly 100.
The wingwalk was arranged to raise money for the air ambulance service. Mrs Duffy said her sister followed her to England, was a tomboy who would have loved the stunt, and had COPD. Her sister was airlifted to Bath hospital, making the cause close to her heart. Reports named the charity as Wiltshire Air Ambulance, while the interview also referred to Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance.
Her niece Jackie helped arrange the attempt. Jackie said she had worried about safety because Mrs Duffy is in a lot of pain and has mobility problems, but accepted that the decision was her aunt's. Mrs Duffy said the experience took her a while to settle into. She felt safe but had to overcome knee pain, telling herself: "Come on Duffy, you've got to do it. You wanted to do it, now do it."
After safety briefings she took off. Family and friends watched as she completed the flight. On landing, the Guinness confirmation brought the response: "You are officially amazing." One family member said they could not believe their 99-year-old great aunt was up there doing it, and that she would have stayed up all afternoon if she could.
Mrs Duffy said she had taken on the challenge for herself rather than to compete with anyone. Betty Bromwich, who was 97 when she did a wingwalk, had congratulated her and suggested she might go again at 100. Asked about her own 100th birthday, Mrs Duffy said she hoped not to get there and that she had had a fabulous life. She added that she would still like to return to Iceland because of its wonderful air.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 2 channels | ||
| According to Guinness World Records, Helga Duffy, aged 99, became the oldest person ever to perform a wingwalk. | ||
| Helga Duffy raised money for Wiltshire Air Ambulance after it helped her sister, who had COPD and was airlifted to Bath hospital. | Reported by Channel 5 | |
| Only on one channel | ||
| Helga Duffy was a nurse in Germany and moved to the UK in the 1950s. | Not reported by Channel 5 | |
| Jackie was concerned about safety because Helga Duffy had pain and mobility problems. | Not reported by ITV | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV treated the wingwalk as a record-breaking human interest story and placed it at the end of the evening bulletin. Its package stressed that Guinness World Records had confirmed the feat in Gloucestershire and gave more background on Helga's life, family and fundraising motive. The tone was warm and celebratory, with the record presented as history being made.
- “Her flight this afternoon has made her the oldest person ever to perform the airborne stunt.”
- “I could not believe that my 99-year-old great aunt was actually up there doing this.”
- “You are officially amazing.”
5 News handled the story as a studio interview rather than a reported package. It focused on Helga's character, her relationship with her niece Jackie, Jackie's safety worries and Helga's pain and mobility problems. It also brought in Betty Bromwich, the previous record holder, and spent more time on Helga's feelings about age and her plans.
- “helga duffy is now officially the world's oldest wing walker”
- “i'm so proud it was such a wonderful afternoon for everybody”
- “i hope not to get there i've had a fabulous life”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.