At 97, Betty Bromage turns a record flight into a hospital fundraiser

Betty Bromage's latest wing walk combined an unusual personal record with a straightforward piece of civic fundraising. At 97, the Gloucestershire woman took to the air on 4 August, secured to the upper wing of a biplane, about a year after suffering a stroke. The flight was reported as Bromage's sixth wing walk and an extension of her Guinness World Records title as the oldest female wing walker. She first tried the activity at 87 and had already been officially recognised by Guinness in 2022 at 93 years and 145 days. This time, the beneficiary was Cheltenham General Hospital, where Bromage was treated following her 2025 stroke. The attempt therefore linked a highly visible aviation stunt with fundraising for local healthcare. The record is gender-specific. Guinness reported in May 2026 that 98-year-old Harry Heasman became the oldest male wing walker.