Dream come true for newly-qualified pilot

A Weston woman completed her first flight as a qualified helicopter pilot.

Emily Stagg took her inaugural flight from Leicestershire to The Helicopter Museum, in Locking.

Emily studied to become a private pilot at Helicentre Aviation, based at Leicester Airport.

She said: "It was absolutely fantastic and a completely overwhelming experience, it was something I wanted to achieve since the age of 12.

"I was really relaxed during the flight but when I flew over Clevedon the realisation of what I was doing hit me, but it all went really swimmingly which was great.

"Landing at the Helicopter Museum made things extra special, too."

Emily first got involved at the museum by volunteering aged 13 for her Duke Of Edinburgh Award.

She enjoyed her time there so much she later undertook work experience at the museum, helping out during helidays and other events and eventually working as ground crew.

Emily was joined on the flight by another returning volunteers, Alex Bishop, with both qualifying for their private licence at the same time.

Emily, a former Worle Community School and Weston College student, also had the opportunity to take her grandmother up in the sky for a pleasure flight over Weston.

Her mother, Jodie Fouweather, was delighted with Emily's achievement.

She said: "Everything has gone full circle, for Emily to start volunteering here more than 13 years ago to now completing a fly-in is just incredible.

"This is something she has wanted to achieve from a very young age, so to be able to be there with her family and friends watching on was a special and proud moment.

"She has a lot of connections and friends at the museum and they were so happy to host her and Alex's inaugural fly-ins, they put on a great show."

Emily has now returned to Vietnam, where she is working as a teacher, and will add to her flying hours once she returns to Somerset.