GP Barney Williams enjoyed a brief respite from his ongoing dispute with health chiefs, to return to the skies, 40 years after his last flight.
Dr Williams of Marshfield Road Surgery in Chippenham, was invited by an RAF friend to pilot a Chipmunk on a short trip over Bicester in Oxfordshire.
The doctor last piloted a Chipmunk while at Oxford University four decades ago, when he was a member of the University Air Squadron.
Taking the controls of the plane, with an instructor behind him, Dr Williams described the experience as magical. "It was like riding a bike it all came back to me straight away," he said.
"For a short while I felt I was soaring over my troubles. The plane was beautiful and I even managed a few minor stunts, including a loop and a barrel roll, before it was time to come back to earth again."
Dr Williams' solicitors are currently engaged in adjudication with health service lawyers over his refusal to provide out-of-hours care for his 3,600 patients. The only GP at the popular Chippenham surgery, Dr Williams informed the health trust last October he could no longer provide 24 hour care for his practice.
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