PILOT Will Hosie is going on a busman’s holiday of sorts by flying upside down across the English Channel.
He will be at the controls of his own plane for the Dover to Calais stunt in aid of London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for children.
He expects touch down less than ten minutes after take off when he tackles the challenge at the end of April.
Will, of Corfe, will become the third member of his family to achieve a charity crossing from England to France – albeit his two sons did so in the water.
“It’s all a bit of fun really and I’m not trying to break any records as it’s been done several times before,” said Will, 54, who works for a Russian businessman.
“I own the plane, a Christen Eagle 2, with eight other people and it’s designed purely for looping the loop, rolls and turning upside down – the experience is basically like doing a handstand.”
His sons, Wesley, now 25, who used to be in the British water ski team, and Christian, 19, kayaked across the Channel – it earned Christian, who was 13 at the time, a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the youngest person to achieve the feat.
Will, who was an airline instructor for 25 years before taking up his current job a decade ago, said: “My wife, Catrina, thinks it’s all a bit odd, but she realises that people have to do what they want to do.
“The boys raised £10,300 for the Children With Leukaemia charity and it will be good if I can get a lot of money for Great Ormond Street.”
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