IT’S NOT always a bad thing to have your head in the clouds as Jan Mustchin found out.

The daredevil great-grandmother from Idle had the time of her life soaring above the Yorkshire countryside while wing walking for a charity close to her heart.

Therapist Jan, 77, has worked with Cancer Support Yorkshire (CSY) for almost 15 years and had always wanted to do a wing walk in aid of the Bradford-based charity, which provides practical and emotional support to people affected by cancer.

On a beautiful day at Leeds East Airport in Church Fenton, she finally got her wish.

Jan took to the skies in a 1940’s Boeing-Stearman biplane. “I was not nervous at all,” she says. “The pilot spoke to me beforehand and I said ‘do everything - dives, loops, everything’. It was fantastic, we did dives with smoke coming out of the back of the plane, and loops, and we flew quite a long way - at one point I thought he was flying me home to Bradford.

“The experience was truly amazing - total freedom up in the clouds looking down on the lovely countryside and seeing everyone waving. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

More than 30 members of Jan’s family, plus friends and colleagues from CSY made the journey to cheer her on. “It was marvellous - I have never felt as proud,” she says.

Her husband John was “quite emotional” watching her aerial acrobatics.

“He was more nervous than I was but he really enjoyed seeing me do it.”

Jan is no stranger to exciting escapades, having walked over the arch of Sydney Harbour Bridge four times and flown along the Grand Canyon in a helicopter.

She aims to raise £5000 from her wing walk challenge to contribute towards supporting local people in need.

Through her work with CSY she has met and supported many wonderful people who have experienced emotional trauma, but have found strength to acknowledge the need for, and reach out for help.

Jan introduced the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to the charity and it has proved to be an invaluable source of emotional support to many who have tried it.

As well as delivering regular EFT sessions, Jan now runs the carers’ group which started eight years ago as a six-week pilot and a health and wellbeing support group.

A spokesperson for CSY says: “We are so excited that Jan has decided to make this life long dream a reality and to do her wing walk in support of CSY, the charity that she is integral to.”

*You can help Jan reach her fundraising total by visiting her just giving page: justgiving.com/fundraising/Jan-Mustchin

* If you are interested or know anyone who is affected by cancer and would like to access Cancer Support Yorkshire’s services contact support@csyorkshire.org.uk