Feet dangling in the air at 91 years old
Few people would dare to have their bare feet dangle from a microlight that is 500m up in the air, let alone at the age of 91.
Rynfield resident Mini Todd (91) was, however, brave enough to make her maiden ascent in an open-seated microlight on October 18, with her son and pilot Derek Todd.
Derek said he finally convinced his mother to agree to the flight in his microlight, from a Bapsfontein airstrip, after years of nagging.
“He has been nagging me ever since I arrived [in Benoni] to fly with him and I didn’t want to do it, and then I decided, why not – let me do it,” said Mini.
The 91-year-old said she should have conceded to her son ‘s request ages ago, but that the small aircraft frightened her.
“I suppose I felt a bit uncertain,” she explained.
“I have flown in big planes, but I had never been in that little thing that he flies.”
She decided to take her son up on his offer to please herself and Derek.
“Well, I just felt I was being difficult and I should really let him be happy for me and him,” said Mini.
Derek said his mother was the oldest person he has ever taken on a flight, the second youngest being 73.
He added that it’s very rare for someone his mother’s age to fly in a microlight.
Mini was completely comfortable in flight and spoke over the headphones, showing she was at ease.
The highlight of her daring journey was spotting chicken farms en route.
“You could see for ever, for days,” she said.
“We went past a place that must have been a chicken farm and I used to farm chickens, so I had a little bit of a longing when I saw those places where I loved my chickens.”
Mini admitted to being a fool for not having flown earlier in her life.
She is game to do it again in the near future, on condition her son is in control of the small bird.
