Wing Walking
Strapped to the wing of a vintage Boeing Stearman biplane, you’ll soar through the skies at speeds of up to 120mph! Flown by an expert pilot, you’ll have the ultimate adrenaline-fuelled experience as you take in the breath-taking views of the Garden of England from a bird’s eye view. All of this whilst raising much-needed funds to support survivors of domestic abuse across east Kent.
Rising Sun is proud partner with The Wing Walk Company to bring you this unique walk on the wild side.
Date: Saturday 7th June 2025
Location: Headcorn Airfield, TN27 9HX
Fundraising: £50 registration fee, and a pledge to raise £750
Who can complete a wing walk?
Anyone! On the day, you’ll be given a briefing which will give you all of the training that you need to prepare for your wing walk, and you’ll be able to tailor your flight with the pilot to have either the maximum adrenaline experience or to be a bit more relaxed.
For safety reasons, a few restrictions apply:
- You must be aged between 18-80 years old
- If aged between 66-80 years of age, a GP’s declaration of good health for your age may be required
- You must weigh no more than 89kgs (14st), and will be weighed ahead of your flight
- You must be no taller than 6ft 2inches (189cm)
- You must be able to climb up to the rig, situated on the wing of the aeroplane, unassisted
- You must sign a declaration of fitness at the briefing
- You cannot participate in a wing walk if you suffer from high blood pressure, epilepsy, fainting, blackouts, heart or lung disease, drug or alcohol addiction or are pregnant.
What can I expect on the day?
When you arrive at Headcorn Airfield you will need to make your way to The Wing Walk Company’s hut where you will receive a warm welcome! Once your group has arrived, you will receive a 15-minute briefing delivered by The Wing Walk Company to demonstrate how to climb up to the rig, what to expect from your wing walk and health & safety procedures.
You will then have an opportunity to talk to your pilot to tailor your flight to achieve the maximum adrenaline experience, or a more relaxed flight. You will then be taken to climb aboard the biplane to enjoy your 10-minute airborne flight.
Please allow a minimum of 2 hours between your briefing and completing your wing walk.
There is a lovely viewing area with picnic benches for your friends and family to come and watch directly in front of the wing walk aircraft, and they can capture the perfect photographs and videos to show all of your supporters!
After your wing walk, you will have the option to purchase a recording of your wing walk from 2 on-board HD camera’s with pilot commentary at an additional price of £50. You will also receive a certificate to confirm the completion of your wing walk experience.
Take part for Rising Sun
We have a limited number of wing walking places available, so we recommend you secure your place early to avoid disappointment.
All you need to do is apply for a place via our online form. Once we’ve received your application, we’ll be in touch to confirm availability and arrange payment of your £50 registration fee to secure your spot. You can then start fundraising to raise your minimum pledge of £750 (before Gift Aid).
Your registration fee is non-refundable, but will count towards your sponsorship target.
Every £25 that you raise for Rising Sun could pay for a woman to receive a specialist 1:1 counselling session to help them rebuild their life after experiencing domestic abuse.
Take to the skies for survivors of domestic abuse
Each year we must raise £1.7m to provide all of our services free of charge to those who need us most across Canterbury, Ashford and Folkestone & Hythe. By raising sponsorship for your Wing Walk you can ensure victim-survivors are listened to, believed and can access the specialist services they need to live safely and rebuild their lives.
Your fundraising could help us:
- £10 could stock a bag of necessities for a woman fleeing domestic abuse
- £25 could pay for a woman to attend a specialist 1:1 counselling session
- £30 could pay for a child to attend a supported activity day during the school holidays
- £50 could pay for a young people to receive a specialist 1:1 counselling session
- £60 could pay for a woman to attend our supportive weekly drop-in café for ten weeks
- £200 could pay for a woman to attend a 10-week support group to rebuild their life
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s great to hear that you’d like to complete a wing walk for Rising Sun, thank you so much.
To take to the skies for Rising Sun, all you need to do is complete our online form, and then a member of our fundraising team will be in touch!
There is a £50 registration fee to pay to secure your place, this is non-refundable but can be used towards your fundraising pledge of £750.
Once everything is confirmed, you can share the news that your completing a wing walk for Rising Sun and start fundraising!
Your wing walk will be through The Wing Walk Company who are located at Headcorn Airfield, Headcorn, Ashford, Kent TN27 9HX.
When taking to the skies for Rising Sun, we ask that you raise a minimum of £750 in sponsorship. Your fundraising will cover the cost of your wing walk and support Rising Sun’s work to empower survivors of domestic abuse.
Your £50 deposit is non-refundable, but goes towards your fundraising goal of £750.
The more you raise, the more money can go to those in your community living with domestic abuse.
Through registering for a free Rising Sun place in a wing walk you are pledging to raise a minimum of £75-, this enables Rising Sun to cover the cost for your place as well as a significant donation to support survivors of domestic abuse.
Did you know that 25% of fundraising is donated once you’ve completed the event! This is why we give all of our fundraisers a month post-event to continue fundraising.
In the run up to your event, our community fundraiser will be on hand to support you in reaching your fundraising goal and will be there to support you with any questions.
When registering for a Rising Sun place in the event, you agreed to Rising Sun’s fundraising terms and conditions, which allows Rising Sun to withdraw your place in the event if you fail to meet your fundraising obligations.
Many employers offer a match funding scheme, this means that they will match your fundraising efforts. Therefore, if you raise £100 for Rising Sun, they’ll also donate £100 to Rising Sun – equalling £200!!
When taking part in a fundraising event, it’s always worth asking your employer if they offer a match funding scheme to help you increase your fundraising.
For safety reasons the general weight limit for a wing walker is no more than 89kgs (14st) and is not taller than 6ft 2inches (189cm).
You will be weighed on the day in your briefing. If you are over the weight limit above, The Wing Walk Company have the right to cancel your wing walk, and Rising Sun will still be invoiced for your place.
The wing walker will be required to sign a declaration of fitness at the briefing. If the wing walker suffers from high blood pressure, epilepsy, fainting, blackouts / dizziness, hear or lung disease you cannot participate. If you medical condition is being managed; you may be able to participate and you should discuss this with your GP / consultant and provide proof of this before you fly.
It is asked that wing walkers wear tight fitted clothing, no loose or baggy clothing can be work such as hoodies, capes and bootleg trousers. On your feet, please wear laced, soft soled shoes or trainers. Boots or heels are prohibited.
Depending on the temperatures on the day of your wing walk, you may require additional layers or clothing; The Wing Walk Company branded fleeces are available if an extra layer is required.
Goggles and earplugs are compulsory to wear and are provided by The Wing Walk Company on the day of your wing-walk.
Fancy dress costumes can be worn as long as they adhere to the above guidelines.
For the safety of all involved The Wing Walk Company cannot fly in strong winds and rain. Their chief pilot checks the forecast regularly and they update a recorded message on their contact number up to 48 hours before your flight. If your wing walk has to be cancelled due to bad weather then you can rebook your wing walk at no additional cost on an agreed date between yourselves and The Wing Walk Company.
The wing walker is secured to the rig of the aeroplane, by one of the qualified team at The Wing Walk Company, using a 5 point harness and a back-up safety pin to prevent accidental unlocking. The wing walker is not allowed to touch the harness during the flight.
We would love for you to bring your family and friends to watch your incredible challenge for Rising Sun. There is a café at the airfield serving hot drinks and food, with indoor and outdoor seating. Unfortunately, no pets are allowed in the public areas of the airfield.
There are also picnic benches at The Wing Walk Company hut for friends and family to sit to get the perfect view of your wing walk.
You will only be able to communicate with the pilot by using hand signals once you’re on your wing walk. These hand signals will be fully explained at the briefing in advance of your wing walk.
Absolutely!
To help you spread the word about your incredible fundraising efforts for Rising Sun, you can download one of our branded sponsorship forms to share with your friends, family and colleagues.
Please be sure to ask your kind supporters to tick Gift Aid to raise an additional 25%!