Guernsey Press

Alderney fits bill for flying-obsessed Carol

ALDERNEY is spending thousands on trying to attract well-heeled private aviators to the island.

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And yesterday it seemed to have paid off – when TV star Carol Vorderman, pictured, dropped in.

The Loose Women panellist and former Countdown presenter was visiting to practise runway approaches in her twin- engined Diamond DA42 Twin Star plane, ahead of her attempt to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe next year.

Ms Vorderman flew from Guernsey with her instructor, John Page, having travelled from Gloucester to Dinard and then Jersey the previous day.

She quit ITV's Loose Women a year ago to focus on her flying, and has clocked up 300 hours in the air since getting her licence.

She is now training for her multi-engine instrument approach rating – and after that will spend four days a week in her plane.

'Everything makes way for flying – it was a decision I made when I got my licence 18 months ago,' she said. 'To get good, I knew I had to make a commitment, even though I'm a commitment-phobe – but that's a whole different story.'

She flew to Alderney to practise GPS approaches – the only place in the UK that private aviators can do so. Her instructor earned his pilot's licence in Alderney.

Before flying back to Gloucester, she enjoyed lunch at the Braye Beach Hotel.

'I've got to get used to flying into different countries, and that's why we came out to the Channel Islands,' she said.

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