A PILOT from Bournemouth has raised over £3,000 for Lucy Air Ambulance for Children after completing the Weymouth Iron Man 70.3 event last month.

After a full career in the Royal Marines, Terry Knights has achieved his life-long dream of becoming a pilot with Gama Aviation in Bournemouth.

Now an air ambulance pilot, Terry completed the gruelling race on Saturday September 19 in a time of six hours 8mins and 23 secs.

He said: “Having had the privilege of spending the last six years as an Air Ambulance pilot, I have flown on numerous Lucy AAC missions during this period and found these to be the most rewarding.

“I believe that everyone deserves a decent start to life, and it has always been an honour to be part of that.”

Unfortunately, Terry suffered a knee injury during the race and rested up before tackling the London Marathon for the charity on Sunday October 3.

Lucy Air Ambulance for Children is the only charity in the UK that flies children to hospital by aeroplane, ensuring that children can receive the specialist care and treatment they need.

The average Lucy AAC flight is 300 miles and takes 60 minutes.

Planes can fly the length and breadth of the country, making it the safest and quickest way for seriously ill children to travel long distances between hospitals.