Car jumpstarts a plane. Picture: Howard Marsh

by Nick Lillitos

Sometimes we all need a bit of help to get going.

And so it proved with this plane – a veteran of the sky – that needed a jump start from a car.

Waiting patiently above the cockpit strapped to the wings, was a stuntwoman ready to demonstrate her sky walk at the Headcorn Combined Ops show.

But as the pilot tried to trigger the ignition of the Stearman (Boeing) PT17 bi-plane into action, it stuttered to a halt.

Crowds looked on enthralled as a friend of the pilot parked his Peugeot car in front of the plane and took out a jump lead to get the propellers whirling.

It did the trick and the engines roared into life.

"It was so unusual, I’ve never seen a plane get a jump start from a car before,” said spectator Howard Marsh.

"But it did the trick and the car got the propellers turning."

Before taking off, the plane taxied over to the hangar to get the final once-over from mechanics.

And while they crawled all over its engine the stuntwoman climbed down from the wings to have a relaxing cup of tea.

Show official Chris Yates said: “It was in the hangar for a short while and then she climbed back on top of the wing and took to the sky, a perfect take-off."

The Stearman PT 17 was renowned during the war for its ruggedness and used in training. More than 10,000 were built and after the war many were auctioned off.