A teenager has become one of the youngest people to make a solo parachute jump after taking inspiration from her dad.

Grace Keery made her first free-fall jump from 13,000ft at Langar Airfield in Nottingham on the day after her 16th birthday.

Grace, of Wilsden Hill, Wilsden, was joined by her dad Fred, who regularly took to the skies as a member of the British Parachute Team between 1977 and 1985.

Grace, who wanted to make the jump as soon as possible after she hit the minimum age of 16, said: "It was so exciting and I wasn't really scared.

"The only time I was frightened was before we did the jump when we were going through the emergency procedures."

Proud dad Fred said: "The winds were so strong over the weekend, we weren't sure if the jump would take place. But Grace went up on the last flight at dusk.

"She performed incredibly well and her trainer said she was an absolute natural."

Grace said: "I suppose one of the reasons I wasn't scared was because I have watched my dad do parachute jumps and have heard him talk about it, so I knew what to expect."

"Now I want to have a go at the next level."

Mr Keery, 53, who actually parachuted into his own wedding to Jacqueline at St James's Church in Otley Road, Baildon, in June 1990, added: "It was really heart-warming and was quite an experience to wave at your daughter when she's travelling at 120mph falling towards the ground.

"She was absolutely buzzing and really ecstatic when she finished.

"I think her first words when she came down were that she wanted to go straight back up and have another go.

"I'm so proud of her."

Grace, a pupil at Parkside School in Cullingworth, has raised more than £1,000 for the Marie Curie hospice and breast cancer charities.

Her uncle, Jim, has also acquired a taste for the high life and in 2004 helped to break two world records.

The experienced skydiver, who like his brother, Fred, has been competing in World Champion- ship competitions for many years, travelled to Thailand to be part of the biggest-ever civilian drop with 672 people and the record biggest formation with 357.

Fred Keery said his daughter now wanted to continue with the daredevil sport and do more jumps.

e-mail: ali.davies @telegraphandargus.co.uk