Wing-walk tribute to pilot father

Tom Christian was a World War II pilot

A 46-year-old woman paid tribute to her dead father on Sunday by scattering his ashes while wing-walking on a bi-plane.

Phyll Whitfield, of Childwall, Liverpool, believed it was a fitting tribute to Tom Christian, 85, a World War II pilot.

Mrs Whitfield flew from Old Buckenham Airfield, near Norwich, where her father, who died in Liverpool in April ferried 1,000s of troops on D-Day.

Mrs Whitfield raised money for the Anthony Nolan Trust.

"The flight went extremely well. She released her father's ashes and it was very emotional," said Melvyn Douglas, of the Trust, which helps people with bone marrow diseases.

He always wanted to wing-walk but never did Phyll Whitfield

Mrs Whitfield has already raised more than £1,000.

"I think we will be going quite high and at speeds of up to 150mph. I have looked at the photographs and I don't think they wear crash helmets," she said.

"The nearest I've done to something like this is abseiling down a hotel for a cancer charity.

"He always wanted to wing-walk but never did. His ambition had been to have three planes. Him in the middle, me on one side and my half-sister Barbara on the other.

"I want to fly over the ground he flew over. I think it will be a fitting tribute."