MODEL aircraft expert John Carter is flying high after winning a prize at an international championship.

The 56-year-old returned to the Potteries with a bronze medal from a Europe-wide competition.

Mr Carter took the honour at the 2010 FAI European Championships for Free Flight Model Aircraft.

He was part of a three-man Great Britain team at the week-long competition in Turkey, which was contested by entrants from 27 countries.

And, while Team GB failed to claim any silverware, the father-of-three tasted success in the individual Class F1A glider category.

Mr Carter, who lives in Brindley Lane, Meir Heath, said: "I was fascinated with planes from a young age.

"When I was younger, planes to me were like computers are now to children. The planes cost around £2,500 but that is quite a small price compared to the cost of using workshops, travelling and entering competitions.

"It's not for the faint-hearted, but if you want to be at the top then you have to put the time and money in."

Civil engineer Mr Carter passed through seven rounds of competition before entering a 'fly-off' with 17 other competitors to decide the medals.

And he came through the first with a time of five minutes, and achieved a flight time of six minutes 15 seconds in the second – earning him third place overall.

Mr Carter has been flying model aeroplanes competitively since 1967 competing in European and international competitions across the world.

The model he used in the tournament has a wingspan of 2.3 metres and is built using materials similar to Formula One racing cars.

Mr Carter, who previously owned a construction company before selling it in 2008, practices at an airfield in Grantham, Lincolnshire, and spends around 10 hours at the gym per week to keep himself in top condition.

He added: "You have to do a lot of physical training because it takes a lot of energy and strength to run with the glider to launch it.

"There is only one category for people above 18, so a lot of people I am up against are in their late 20s or 30s and I have to spend eight to 10 hours each week in the gym.

"I'm hoping to keep going until I'm 62 or 63, but a lot of it depends on how fast you can run. I was delighted to win a medal at the competition, it was a fantastic feeling."

Wife Dawn, aged 56, said the whole family had taken a lot of enjoyment out of her husband's hobby.

The 56-year-old said: "We've travelled to watch him take part in competitions before and the children used to love watching the models fly when they were growing up. We're all very proud of his achievement."