A WOMAN has flown in an historic aircraft in her journey to try to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps.

Emma Dobell, from Basingstoke, and her sister-in-law Jaymee Dobell have flown in the front seat of a Second World War aircraft, and even got to take over the controls.

At the Heroes at Highclere event last month, one of the prizes on offer was to fly in a Tiger Moth aircraft, which Emma won along with sister-in-law Jaymee.

After finding her grandfather Norman’s logbook, Emma has decided to fly in as many of the planes that he did as possible, which included the Tiger Moth.

On October 7 at White Waltham, Berkshire, the pair took to the skies, aided by a former BA Concorde pilot and a former RAF pilot.

Emma’s father Graham Dobell said: “We are very keen on supporting military charities as a family. Many of our presents, holidays and other items have come from military charities, and this was one of them.”

“She was over the moon to take control of the Tiger Moth, just like her grandfather did. Both of them were thrilled to be flying and knowing that the money supported their military charities too.

“Emma has had an interest in First World War commemoration since she was young.

“She always goes to the cenotaph in November, and the 1914 commemoration at Highclere.

“Emma was hooked after visited the battlefields at Ypres in Belgium on school trip when she was at Brighton Hill School, and since then, we’ve supported a mixture of charities.

“She would always talk to him about his time in the RAF every summer when she went to visit him in Harrogate. She was absolutely speechless after getting to fly like her grandfather.

“Sadly, he died a few years ago from dementia so was not there to see her.”

While the list is long, Emma is hoping to be able to fly in a Spitfire in the future, as well as take to the skies in a Harvard T6.