AN RAF hero from Poole has taken to the skies again 73 years after he last piloted an aircraft.

Great-grandfather Bernard Rye, 96, joined the RAF in 1940 at the age of 18 and toured the world in his Tiger Moth and Avro York planes.

He also had the honour of piloting Louis Mountbatten, the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, during his time in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

During this time, Bernard travelled to South Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand and spent time in the Middle East.

The resident at The Links care home in Broadstone had longed to be airborne once again and thought his flying days were over until he was nominated for a flying experience by Zoe McCarthy, activities lead at the Bupa care home, as part of their Never Too Late campaign.

The campaign is being run across Bupa care homes and aims to make residents' wishes come true.

Bernard was whisked aboard a Piper PA Cherokee Six, flown by a volunteer pilot, for a 30-minute flight over Dorset and the Isle of Wight, accompanied by his son.

Bernard said: “I had a thoroughly good time in the RAF and got to see everywhere from South America to Australia and the Middle East.

“It’s been over 70 years since I flew myself, and I never expected I’d be taking to the skies again. It took me back quite a way, and I’m very grateful to the team for making it happen.”

Zoe said: “Everyone’s got ambitions that they’d like to achieve and being in a care home shouldn’t get in the way of that.

“We all love hearing Bernard’s stories from his days in the RAF and he absolutely lights up when he tells them. That’s why we wanted to help him relive it, and organised his surprise for him.”