AN AMBITIOUS 3,000-mile fundraising flight will see a Thirsk businessman fly to Malta. Peter and Sandy Ray are to fly a Chipmunk aircraft there to be part of the Maltese International Air Show. They are also using the challenge to raise much-needed funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Mr Ray, 55, said: "We've got a lot of friends in Malta and always had it in the back our minds to do this.

"It came up and we decided to raise some money with it as well. There has been a lot of interest.

He added: "It's a big challenge this for me to fly to Malta.

"You can get to Malta easily by jet in four hours but it will take us about 17 hours.

"But if Amy Johnson could fly all the way to Australia in the 1920s, I'm sure we will manage this trip."

An experienced acrobatic flyer, Mr Ray gained a pilot's licence in 1991 at the then Teesside Airport.

"I always liked flying since I was a boy and it was always something I wanted to do. When I could afford it I took lessons and then it's like a drug - once you start, you can't let go," he said.

He has flown the plane all over the UK but this will be the longest flight he has attempted.

He has also raised thousands of pounds for the air ambulance by flying people in sponsored loop the loops.

The pair hope to raise more than £10,000 for the charity from this trip through sponsorship.

Much planning has gone into the journey which is scheduled to start on September 25.

But with time running out, there is plenty still to organise before the journey takes place.

The plane, bought in 1996, will leave Bagby airfield before heading over the English Channel from Kent's Lydd airfield.

The flight plan means flying through the airspace of France, Monaco, Italy and finally Malta.

So permission is being sought to allow the two-seater plane access for the journey.

The Chipmunk only has a fuel limit of about 250 miles, meaning several stops en route.

This means a leg stretch every 2 hours, which after the cramped plane will prove welcome.

By flying at just 250ft the cold should not prove a problem during the flight.

To ensure a smooth run in September, maps will be studied and courses minutely plotted.

Most of the week-long journey is expected to be fairly straightforward but one section is causing a worry.

The tricky part, feels Mr Ray, is the 60-mile flight over the sea from Sicily to Malta.

He said: "The most worrying bit will be the bit from Sicily over the sea as I will not be able to see Malta.

"It should only take 40minutes but I only have to be slightly wrong with the compass."

It is not just the problem of taking the right course that faces the intrepid duo. They will have very little storage space for the duration of the trip, with just a small locker behind the cockpit.

Rough estimates say fuel costs will be at least £1,000 with other expenses to take into account too.

Once there Mr Ray, managing director of Yorklite in Thirsk, will exhibit his plane as part of the Maltese air show.

The Chipmunk T10 was built for active RAF duty as a training plane with 44 years' service.

Even royalty learnt to fly in Chipmunks with Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew using them.

A veteran of 32,000-plus landings, Mr Ray's still sports its RAF livery on the fuselage.

Built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company in Chester, it entered service on June 3, 1952, as an officer training plane at RAF Cranwell.

From there it was stationed at Leuchars in the 1950s and 1960s before moving to Kemble, Swinderby and RAF Colerne.

This year's air show is special as Malta celebrates 30 years of independence.

The Maltese Aviation Society will also celebrate the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

To tie in with the 1945 anniversary, an original Spitfire and Hurricane will be on show too.

While there, Mr Ray will offer to take people up for an acrobatic flight in the Chipmunk.