A Perthshire woman reached for the stars as she celebrated her 80th birthday in style by flying a plane at Scone Aerodrome.
Mabel Danraj of Scone spent her big day at the controls of a single engine Cessna after her family surprised her with the treat.
It was a memorable occasion for the pensioner, who has had a lifelong connection to aircraft.
Born and raised in Balbeggie, Mabel worked at Scone Aerodrome as a secretary.
It was there that she met her late husband, Walter Danraj in 1961 when he was training to become a commercial pilot for Guyana Airways.
The couple moved to his native Guyana after they were married in 1964 and Walter died in a plane crash in December 1973.
His body was never recovered and following his death Mabel returned to Scotland with their three children, Anne Fiona and Bruce, in 1974.
She went back to work for the Air Training Service at Scone until its closure in 1997.
Bruce Danraj said his mother took a little convincing before she took to the sky, but once she had made her mind up there was no stopping her.
He said: “She was very anxious about going for the flight. She had said ‘I’m not going up in any bloody aeroplane’.
“The pilot took off and within 30 seconds, she was flying the plane. She was delighted. The whole family was there with her.”
Bruce said the staff at the aerodrome had made his mother’s day special.
He said: “They didn’t know her but they still treated her like a VIP.
“They usually only let one person through to take photos at the aircraft but they let the whole family through.”
In addition to her flying experience, Mabel celebrated her birthday with a party and a meal at the Royal George Hotel in Perth, where she was joined by her family and friends.
