90-year-old flies plane above city to mark her birthday

Elisabeth Mary Fraser wants to fly the microlight again

Not content with tea and biscuits by the fire, 90-year-old Elisabeth Mary Fraser took to the skies for her big day, soaring to 2000 feet over the city skyline for a special birthday celebration.

The great-grandmother of five, from Portobello, even insisted on taking over the controls of the open-top microlight aircraft from Gordon Douglas, chief flying officer at East Fortune Airfield, as the pair flew over the Forth.

Now the intrepid grandmother of eight, who trekked around China solo at the age of 83, has pledged to learn how to fly a microlight - if she is allowed.

She said: "I've never done anything like that before. It was fantastic. It was such a surprise, my good friend Ken organised it all and I only found out at the last minute. When I came down the first thing I said to the pilot was 'can you teach a 90-year-old woman' to fly? I really hope they can."

Elisabeth, a retired advertising rep for the Scotsman, insisted that far from being nervous, she was ready to take the controls as soon as they were in the air.

She said: "I've never been one to shy away from anything and I love a good adventure.

"I asked the pilot what these two sticks on front of me were, and he said to turn this one like this and pull this lever, and the plane went up and down, with me controlling it.

"We went up to 2000 feet, I couldn't believe it. It was just like when my mother took me to the aerodrome in London. It was the twenties, and a pilot took us up and then took my mother up and did loop-the-loops."

Elisabeth's special birthday surprise was organised by her friend Ken Kerr, a graphic designer, who was first introduced to her to help her use a computer. The pair have since become friends, and Ken said it is the first of many flights the 90-year-old will take.

The 53-year-old said: "Elisabeth was really gung-ho and completely fearless the whole time. As soon as she landed, she said, 'when can I go up again?' I'm really impressed, but she's a really intrepid woman."