At 99, Helga strapped herself to a plane's wing — and took the record, for the air ambulance

Helga Duffy had a bad knee, osteoarthritis, and a motto: 'Try anything. Don't ever say, I can't do anything. You can't see until you've tried.' On 16 October at RFC Rendcomb Airfield in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, the 99-year-old strapped herself to the top wing of a plane and flew for eight minutes — becoming, with a Guinness World Records adjudicator watching, the oldest female wing-walker ever, at 99 years and 21 days. Her niece Jackie Rose had spotted that the previous record holder, Betty Bromage, did it at 97 — and realised Helga could try. Helga raised more than £1,300 (about $1,770) for Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance, a service with a personal connection to her family. Her certificate now sits in her care home. Bromage, gracious in defeat, says she hopes to take the title back when she turns 100 — which means this delightful duel may have another chapter.