Joy for aviation enthusiast, 86, after being reunited with plane

"It was a dream come true," said the 86-year-old retired Wolverhampton insurance broker after soaring in to the sky once more in the two seater Piper Cub he had last flown in October 1948.

Father of four Mr Bickley from Alexandra Road, Penn, was allowed to take the controls for 20 minutes after it was airborne and declared: "It was a magnificent experience and just like riding a bike.

"It felt just like I had last been flying last week. It felt like I was 21 again. The only problem was getting in. I used to leap in and out when I was young but sadly that is no longer the case.

"We flew over the house where my wife and I first lived after our marriage. Then I took control from the pilot and flew the plane until we were down to 500 feet on the final approach when he took over.

"Many happy memories came flooding back during the flight. I cannot thank everybody enough for organising this wonderful experience."

The former councillor and past chairman of Wolverhampton Education Committee, had earlier confessed as the near 70-year-old aircraft gracefully swooped from a clear blue sky to touch down in front of him at Halfpenny Green airport at Bobbington on Saturday:

"What a wonderful sight - I thought I would never see it again and assumed it had been written off long ago. It has a very special place in my heart. It was not where I found love but it certainly helped things along a lot."

The Piper Cub carried him backwards and forwards from Pendeford airfield to a landing strip near the Dundee home of wife-to-be Isobel during their long distance courtship.

They met in Scotland in May 12 1945 while he was stationed at Arbroath before flying away to serve as a pilot with the Fleet Air Arm in Ceylon.

He returned home to Wolverhampton in 1947 and soon afterwards his father George paid £600 for the Piper Cub, an American Air Force spotter plane built in 1943 that is now worth over £22,000.

It was immediately commandeered by Mr Bickley to ensure romance blossomed with Isobel. "I regularly flew up and down to Scotland a lot in it. She was the first passenger I carried in it and the last.

"I flew her back to Dundee with the engagement ring to ask for her hand in marriage. It carries a lot of happy memories."

His life long friend David Barber, 86, from Derwent Road, Tettenhall who was best man at the couple's marriage after joining the Fleet Air Arm on the same day as Mr Bickley and was on hand to see the return of the Piper Cub, said:

"He courted her by air. The romance might not have lasted if that plane had not made light of the distance between them."

It was sole by Mr Bickley's father in 1948 but one of his sons, Martin, aged 60, from Victoria Road, Bradmore traced it through the internet last year and discovered that it was owned by an eight strong consortium based in High Wickham.

One of the group, Nils Wedi, a 42-year-old meteorologist agreed to fly the plane to Halfpenny Green and take Mr Bickley up for a spin in it.

Mr Wedi said afterwards: "It was an honour and a wonderful experience because the plane obviously means so much to Mr Bickley."

David, another of Mr Bickley's sons added: "It has been a perfect day for Dad and the rest of the family. The only thing missing was mum. She was the reason he flew the plane and that it is why it played such a significant part in his life."

Sadly Mrs Bickley passed away on June 12 this year. The couple were married for 64 years.