U.S.WEIRD NEWS
Helga Duffy's wing walk: the record has changed hands three times…
Helga Duffy flew eight minutes strapped to a biplane wing, raising money for Wiltshire Air Ambulance; the previous holder says she wants the title back.
At a glance
- First reported by SBS 뉴스: “99-Year-Old Grandmother Climbs Onto Airplane Wing and Sets World Record”.
- Covered on BBN on Monday, October 19, 2026, at 12:37 AM ET on BBN Overnight, by Vera Bullock.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
What BBN said about it

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorHelga Duffy, ninety-nine, spent eight minutes strapped to the top wing of a biplane, and it turns out the record needed only five.

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorWith us now is Barnaby Szymanski, managing partner at Holloway Crane Advisory. Barnaby, what are we looking at?
Barnaby SzymanskiA trend. The data is clear: Harry Heasman set it at ninety-eight in May, Betty Bromage at ninety-seven in August, and now Helga in October.
Barnaby SzymanskiI call that the Heasman Curve.

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo how many data points is that?
Barnaby SzymanskiThree. The data is clear that three is a lot of points. I have them laminated, in fact.
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Monday, October 19, 2026 · the U.S. archive · all months



