A Welsh tearaway who escaped from jail then stole a plane and flew across to France in a bid for freedom, memorising only the instructions he'd read from The Aeroplane magazine, has died aged 91. Brynley Fussell, a serial escaper, had 77 convictions having ended up in borstal aged just 10 for accidentally setting fire to a haystack.
Originally from Port Talbot Brynley had a tough start in life but thanks to his daring nature, innate technical talent, and a healthy dose of luck he briefly became "the most famous pilot in the world" and was "fêted on six continents for his superb flying skill and his daring".
Members of his family still live in Port Talbot and fondly remember his chaotic life and how he spent most of his adolescence in youth custody. His family, from Cwmafan, were poor. Born in 1931, his father was a coal hewer. When the Second World War broke out both his parents worked in a munitions factory and later separated leaving Brynley and his two brothers and sister to largely look after themselves.
