Annette Callan , a self-confessed adrenalin junkie, went skydiving in 2019 and has recently learned to fly a planeAn 86-year-old self-confessed adrenaline junkie from Co Louth has ticked another challenge off her bucket list by flying an aeroplane.
“The instructor got a great kick out of her and even let her take full control of the plane as she travelled through the skies over Meath and Louth,” says her daughter, Deirdre McCormack. “She absolutely loved it and can’t wait to get back up again so I’d say that’s the Christmas and birthday presents from us sorted for a while.”
“I was so looking forward to the challenge of flying solo and ticking another thing off the bucket list,” she says. “It was a wonderful experience. I had a great sense of freedom and calm up there. Being in control of the aircraft was really stimulating and just goes to show that you are never too old to do anything.”
“I think the secret is to keep moving and not to give up,” she says. “I’m a very strong-minded person and I won’t let anything beat me — so bring on the next challenge.”“I hate being around complainers,” she says, adding that she insists on getting out in cold weather which is aided by warming up two potatoes in the microwave and putting them in her gloves to keep her hands warm.Ms McCormack says relatives struggle to believe how full of life the octogenarian is at times.