A Shinfield care home resident is ‘on cloud nine’ after experiencing the thrill of freefall at an indoor skydiving centre.

The team at Care UK’s Parsons Grange, on Westall Street, pulled out all the stops for resident David Gallagher when they discovered it was his lifelong wish to jump out of a plane.

This is part of the home’s Wishing Tree initiative, which encourages residents to put wishes forward, allowing them to reconnect with a past hobby or try something completely new

As David has Parkinson’s disease, he was unable to take part in a real skydive. But the 72-year-old proved age is just a number as he was lifted off the floor by 110mph gusts inside a purpose-built flight simulator at the iFly centre in Basingstoke.

Former accountant David said: “I had an amazing time – I think my smile said it all.

“Although I was unable to jump out of a real plane, the indoor skydiving experience was truly exhilarating. I’m sure the real thing would be even more so.

“I’ve always been a very active person and I’m determined not to allow Parkinsons to inhibit me in any way. Doing this skydive experience was another example of not allowing the condition to define me.”