A YORK father-of-four who suffers from a fear of heights has overcome his phobia to achieve a string of flying qualifications.
Paramedic and former Evening Press printer, John Pawelec, was terrified on his first flight five years ago after a chance visit to Rufforth Airfield.
John, aged 50, of Shipton Road, said: "On my first flight I didn't even know if I would be able to open my eyes, but I absolutely loved it and had no sense of fear. I don't know why.
"I know other pilots who feel the same. Ask them to go up a ladder and they would be a gibbering wreck. Ask them to take a plane out at 10,000ft and you would be crushed in the rush."
John, a teacher at the Ambulance Training School, at Burn Hall, in Huby, first learned to fly a two-seater motor glider before turning his attention to micro-light flying. Last year he qualified to fly four-seater aircraft.
Updated: 10:56 Monday, April 21, 2003
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