A YOUNG woman with a life-ending illness had her ultimate wish fulfilled by flying an aeroplane.

Chloe McLean, 22, has terminal fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma – a rare liver cancer affecting around one in every five million people.

She has written a bucket list of things she would like to do, with flying an aeroplane a top dream of Chloe’s – despite a fear of heights.

And on September 9, her dream came true as she flew from Lydd airport in Kent to Shoreham with instructor Andrew Hopper.

“It was absolutely terrifying,” she said.

“I did all of it apart from a bit at the start. I’d never been in a plane before, but it was always something I’d wanted to do.

The Argus: Chloe at the controls with Andrew watching onChloe at the controls with Andrew watching on (Image: The Argus)

“I was really grateful to be able to take my older brother along with me, and we had such a laugh with our pilot while we were flying.

“One of the best parts was being able to see above the clouds and actually go through one.”

Chloe and her brother touched down in Shoreham where they met Michael Newton and Polina Fedoseyeva, instructors at the airport’s Virtual Aerospace facility.

They were treated to the VIP lounge, before Chloe made a virtual flight to Heathrow in the Boeing 737 800 simulator.

“Chloe quickly got the grip of ground handling and after taxiing to the designated runway,” said Michael.

“Then it was take-off mode and full throttle, and she began to climb to the cruising altitude of 6,000 feet, where Chloe took the controls onto Heathrow.

“She mastered the complex flight procedure herself and, to our surprise, completed the flight by ending with an almost perfect landing.

The Argus: Michael, Chloe, and Polina after the simulator flightMichael, Chloe, and Polina after the simulator flight (Image: The Argus)

“She is an amazing young lady and pilot.”

Chloe was then presented with a certificate of completion.

“A fitting testimony to her courage, skill and determination.,” said Michael.

“We were all delighted and proud to have been able to help make a very special person’s dream come true.”

Andrew, a retired commercial pilot, and the team at Lydd covered the costs of the and Virtual Aerospace in Shoreham also waived the fees.

“It was something I wanted to do to challenge myself,” Chloe said.