FSD

[Timothy]

Sadly one of the scholars is ill, but happily a replacement has been found for the big day on Thursday. I have just been updating Reach for the Islands - main page (http://www.reachfortheislands.org.uk) to add his biography.

It is so much "what it is all about" that I share it with you, in the hope that you will want to go to the website and contribute.

I have always wanted to fly as I used to attend the local airfield and clean the aircraft as a kid in return for flights.

At the age of 16 I was accepted into the Parachute Regiment and passed the entrance test at the top of my class gaining medals for running and completing the tasks in the quickest time.

Two weeks after joining my unit I was run over by a lorry while on a bike and rushed into Gloucester Hospital, I spent four months being transferred between different units having my leg re-built and lots of skin grafts.

After all this time it failed and I made the decision to have it amputated. Making this decision at the age of 19 was a big deal for me.

I thought my life was over and felt really down knowing that I would never do the things I wanted in life until I met a previous scholar who is a paraplegic and flies a microlight. My spirits were slightly lifted knowing that there was something I could do. I applied to FSD and missed out on the first application as I applied too late; on the second attempt I was successful.

After a gruelling selection at Cranwell I spent two months at Goodwood Aerodrome and gained my National Private Pilots Licence with no restrictions.

This is where my life changed and I knew that with the right attitude, commitment and self confidence I could achieve anything now.

After I returned home I bought a cheap microlight and learnt to fly on this and gained my NPPL-M (National Private Pilot Licence - Microlight) This was just a conversion.

Now you will not keep me on the ground; as soon as the sun shines I am there. Flying has now given me so much confidence and self belief. I love the free feeling of just throttling back at 2000FT and being free. When I am up there nothing else matters its just me and the sky......lonely but safe and peaceful.

Now I share the same feeling as many other pilots, the sense of freedom.

I can only thank FSD and its sponsors in giving us this opportunity to be free once again and believe in ourselves. This has changed the lives of many people.

Reach for the Islands - main page (http://www.reachfortheislands.org.uk)

[Bramble 44]

Timothy

Many thanks for all the effort.Best of luck on Thursday.

Alan

[Timothy]

We accomplished the mission with 10 minutes to spare and everything went very nearly like clockwork, except that Scillies suddenly had no fuel so we had to make an unplanned stop in Haverfordwest. But the staff there came in especially early to cook us all breakfast which was great.

We landed at 16 airfields on 15 islands (we touched the mainland twice because of the unscheduled stop at Haverfordwest) in 10h15, with a total time between the first take-off and the last landing of 16h35.

We got great publicity all around the country (though it was a bit odd to arrive in Inverness to find Radio Cornwall asking for a live interview).

The co-operation and generosity we received was fantastic. I don't know who to thank more, Marshalls (who provided huge support, including a formation instructor for four days), Jersey, who, the moment we asked them, put on a complete volunteer staff at 4.00am, Guernsey, who had enormous opposition to overcome, but still managed to find volunteers for both Alderney and Guernsey at 0440L, Haverfordwest who came in and cooked for us at almost no notice, HIAL, who waived innumerable landing fees and provided great support, or all the commercial sponsors, without whom none of it would have been possible.

But actually I do know who to thank most. That is the four ex-scholars, who are all severely disabled in one way or another and yet took part in a day that would exhaust any able bodies person. It was over 10 hours flying in tight formation during a 20 hour day, starting at 3.00am and ending at 11pm. That is tough, but these brave people (two men, two women) got through it despite great hardship with the minimum of whingeing and the maximum of fortitude.

The money is coming in and I do hope that you will go online to Reach for the Islands - main page (http://www.reachfortheislands.org.uk) and contribute, if you haven't already.