NONAGENARIAN Douglas Appleton enjoyed his 90-minute birthday flight in a gyrocopter - and is now considering going for his pilot's licence!

Doug, who turned 90 last week, planned to fly over the Keswick fields where, more than sixty years ago, he met his wife-to-be.

Though easterly winds thwarted his plan to look down on the sports fields, Doug, of Pike House Road in Eccleston, thoroughly enjoyed the trip which instead took him over Hadrian's Wall.

Accompanied by 25 family members, the former headteacher of Carr Mill and Legh Vale primary schools travelled to Carlisle airport, where he took to the skies at 2pm on Saturday.

Doug, who has four children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, said: "It was a beautiful sunny day, although there was a strong easterly wind over the Lakes which would cause too much turbulence for the gyrocopter to fly over Keswick.

"But I had an amazing history lesson with a one-and-a-half hour flight over Hadrian’s Wall.

"They said I'm the oldest person to have flown in one of their gyroplanes - and I may go for my licence in a few year's time!"

During the flight, Doug, who has a passion for flying and served in the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during World War Two, took the controls for a time after being talked through the navigation by pilot Andrew Lysser.

Doug said: "What a birthday! We all went to my daughter's caravan at Arnside for the birthday party afterwards."

His wife Betty, 82, who has dementia, couldn't be with them on the day of the flight. She lives at Stocks Hall Care Home in Skelmersdale, where Doug visits her every day.

The pair met in 1963 at Keswick Rugby Club, coming off the fields after their rugby and hockey matches, and were married two years later.

Doug and Betty celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary with a party for family and friends on April 7.