Posted on 08/25/2024 10:55:59 AM PDT by RandFan
Second world war veteran Manette Baillie marks birthday with skydive for charity in Suffolk
A 102-year-old military veteran has become Britain’s oldest skydiver.
Manette Baillie, from Benhall Green in Suffolk, jumped out of plane over Beccles on Sunday to mark her birthday and raise money for three charities, which she described as “very dear to my heart”.
Baillie, who served with the Women’s Royal Naval Service (Wrens) in Egypt during the second world war, said before the jump: “You must always look for something new. I was once married to a paratrooper but have never done [a sky-dive] myself.”
Baillie has raised more than £10,000 of her £30,000 fundraising target for the East Anglian Air Ambulance, Motor Neurone Disease Association and her local Benhall and Sternfield Ex-servicemen’s and Village Club, which she says “is the heart and soul of our lovely community and is in need of considerable refurbishment”.
She was supported on Sunday morning by a large crowd of spectators, including members of her local community, who travelled to the airfield to watch her momentous jump
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
I was just at the Pima Air Museum in Tucson. There was a 102 year old B-17 pilot who gave a talk. He served in Vietnam too as an F4 Phantom pilot. Just amazing. My brother and I both had the same thoughts as we left. One of them was what a shame it will be if the communists take over the country after all the sacrifices so many have made.
Yes indeed....
People have short memories
Great for her to be taken on this jump as a passenger but if they keep calling these people skydivers and completely giving the impression they are controlling their chutes and landings then what are we going to call the actual skydivers?
She’s safer falling out an airplane than walking around Londonstan.
I need to visit the Pima Air & Space Museum again, maybe when the weather cools a bit more. I only live about 40 minutes away.
I’d like to take the Davis-Monthan boneyard tour also, but that was discontinued a while ago and no word on whether it’ll be offered again. Should have done it a few years back.
102 year old adrenaline junkie :)
Many years ago, I had a friend who was a skydiver. I liked to go up in a plane with him and watch him jump, but I would never in a million years do it myself. Just looking out the door made me dizzy.
So, this woman is beyond wonderful to do what she did. And no, I don’t care that someone else was pulling the strings.
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