A DAREDEVIL grandmother has again proved age is just a number after taking to the skies in a Spitfire plane and enjoying a range of stunts.

Fearless 91-year-old great grandmother Dawn Goodson, of Poole, has raised close to £3,000 for charity after helping to pilot a Spitfire in a spectacle that would not have looked out of place at an air festival.

Flying from London Biggin Hill Airport on August 23, Dawn sat behind experienced pilot Barry Hughes in the Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIII as they completed several barrel rolls, victory rolls and vertical manoeuvrers.

The self-set challenge was to raising money for the East Dorset and New Forest branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association in memory of her husband John who died from the illness in 2014.

Bournemouth Echo: Poole grandmother Dawn Goodson and pilot Barry Hughes with the Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIII planePoole grandmother Dawn Goodson and pilot Barry Hughes with the Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIII plane (Image: Dawn Goodson)

She wanted to raise money towards the purchase of new breathing equipment for those with the disease.

Since the challenge, she has raised more than £2,000 in offline donations and £870 online – with more still coming in.

Dawn, who was handed the controls at one point during the flight, said: “I would like to thank all those who donated to my Spitfire flight.

“Soon after I took off in the Spitfire, the [the pilot] flipped going vertical. Then I took the controls briefly. Would I like to do a barrel role he asked, yes please and another and another.

Bournemouth Echo: Dawn GoodsonDawn Goodson

“This was a fun experience. Many thanks for all your donations that are going to East Dorset and New Forest Motor Neurone Disease Association, and will buy [equipment] that can be taken into the patients home, saving them a trip to hospital with their breathing apparatus.”

Travelling in a chaser plane behind Dawn watching her every flip of the way was her daughter Julie, niece Beverley with her husband, as well as three close friends.

Despite previously having broken her back twice and suffering from osteoporosis, Dawn has previously abseiled down Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, gone down the world’s fastest zipline headfirst at 100 mph, completed the Bournemouth Zip Wire Challenge in 2014, and performed a wing walk at the Bournemouth Air Show in 2016 – which she reluctantly settled for after being refused a parachute jump.

Visit justgiving.com/fundraising/dawn-goodson5 for more information.