Wing-walk a family tradition

by TREFOR MOSS - The Marlborough Express Friday, 18 May 2007

Standing on the wing of an aeroplane 1000 feet above the ground might sound like a pretty amazing feat. But for Susan Alexander, it's just a family tradition.
Remarkably, she is to become the fourth generation of her family to wing-walk when she takes to the skies over Auckland this weekend strapped upright onto the wing of a Tiger Moth.
Although it was her grandfather who began the family's association with wing-walking, it was her great-grandmother, Hilda Alexander, who set records when she wing-walked across Cook Strait in 1971 at the age of 72, going on to become the oldest recorded wing-walker at 78.
"I'd never do a bungee jump or probably a sky dive, but this doesn't seem insane to me," said Susan.
"It should be good; I don't feel nervous. When you see a picture of your nanna at 72 doing it and your uncles have done it, it just feels natural."
The 19 year old divides her time between the Westpac Bank, instructing at Pursuits Gym and studying for an accountancy degree, but "flying is a big passion for me," she says.
Her flight on Sunday will last about 10 minutes and, if she can see through the face full of wind, her dad Steve will be accompanying her in a second plane.
"There is a risk involved because a person standing on top of the wing increases the drag a lot," she said. "But if the pilot's skilled ? and he is ? then there shouldn't be a problem."
It all sounds like a breeze for the latest generation of a wing-walking dynasty.