A THALIDOMIDE victim believed to be the first such person to fly a plane solo has died of a chest infection, aged 54.

Stephen Townsend spent his entire career at Oxford Airport and nurtured a long-held passion for planes and aviation.

He had initially hoped to join the RAF but had to give up that ambition because of his disability.

But he didn’t let that stop him and in 1989 he finally got his wings after picking up a Sir Douglas Bader Flying Scholarship which was set up to teach disabled people to fly.

Mr Townsend learnt to fly solo in only six weeks and became what, at the time, was thought to be the most disabled person to have learnt to fly and the first Thalidomide pilot as reported in the Oxford Mail in 1989. He flew with no assistance other than a loop around the control panel to give him better grip.

Stephen Townsend was born in Witney on August 4, 1959.

A victim of the morning sickness drug Thalidomide, he was born with Thalidomide-affected withered arms and legs and went to Penhurst School in Chipping Norton, a school for severely disabled children.

He then went on to West Oxfordshire Technical College and, when he left, went to work at Oxford Airport in Kidlington.

He started working initially in the store room, but after six years became a technical records administrator.

Mr Townsend learnt to drive aged 24 after being given a specially-adapted Metro following a three-year fundraising effort by friends and workmates.

The avid Oxford United fan became well-known through his charity work and involvement in many local groups.

His passion for airplanes took him to many different air shows and led to him flying on Concorde.

Stephen Townsend died on November 23. He did not marry and had no children.

He is survived by his step-brother John, with whom he lived in Witney, and two step-sisters, Cynthia and Barbara.

His funeral took place at St Kenelm’s Church in Minster Lovell on Tuesday.