nothing is difficult just different, Smiling wings, EGTC
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nothing is difficult just different, Smiling wings, EGTC
Hello again forum readers, i hope everyone is well and smiling....we have another really cool event coming up as part of the Smiling Wings tour of UK GA airfields. Here is the details of the event....
(London - UK: Wednesday, June 4, 2008) On Friday 6th June 2008, Aviation Without Borders (AWB) and Cranfield Flight Training will be hosting an ‘Introduction to Aviation’ day beginning at 10:30 from Cranfield Airport in Bedfordshire. The day is named, for obvious reasons, Smiling Wings day and, with the support of EADS, will be Aviation Without Borders’ first at Cranfield Airport.
10 local children with disabilities from Bedfordshire and Luton will have the chance of a lifetime to experience the freedom of flight, in the hope that it may expand their horizons when they attend the “Smiling Wings” day. Children are all from The Disability Resource Centre, which is Bedfordshire and Luton’s leading independent disability information provider.
We intend to show that anyone with a disability can reach for the skies, and achieve virtually anything, sometimes with only the very smallest amount of support. The children’s ‘one off’ flight could be as life changing for them as someone who flies every week and ends up with their Private Pilots Licence. To have piloted an aircraft even once is clearly a massive experience for a person with a disability and a huge achievement.
The children, who have all recently accessed The Disability Resource Centres local Information and Advice services, will learn all about being a pilot, before having their own private 20min flight in a light aircraft with family members, where if they wish, they can take control of the aircraft. A PA28 Cherokee operated by Terry Akeroyd and fitted with the vision air hand control will be one of 3 aircrafts being flown on the day. The hand control enables a pilot with lower limb disabilities to operate the aeroplanes rudder pedals with their hands.
The day long event will culminate in each child receiving a personal record of their flight, together with a goody bag provided by Pooleys Flight Equipment and a signed certificate, as a memento of a very unique day.
Each year The Disability Resource Centre supports over 5,000 local people with disabilities, of which 10% are young adults with disabilities or who act as carers.
Commenting on the event, Mick Dillon, Chief Executive of the Dunstable based disability charity said “…we are indebted to the support Aviation without Borders has offered us to make the Smiling Wings day possible. With freedom comes confidence, which in turn encourages anyone with a disability to push back boundaries and look to change society’s typically negative attitude of disability.
Mike Willoughby, Chief Flying Instructor at Cranfield Flight Training comments “ Both myself and our organisation are keen to support the promotion of aviation to disabled people. We are happy to do as much as we can to help disabled people become pilots. As an instructor I am naturally keen to encourage anyone to learn to fly. My experience teaching Gautam Lewis was very rewarding and emphasised that anyone can learn to fly if they have the desire, are encouraged to do so and realise that most barriers to learning can be overcome.”
So far this year AWB has held events with The Scottish Aero club in Perth in April and with Synergy Aviation at Fairoaks in May. The Smiling Wings tour then goes on with one event each month over the summer to Cumbernauld, near Glasgow, White Waltham, near London, and finally to Manchester in September.
The day will be organised as a fun day for the children and it is hoped to see many smiles. If you wish further information please visit our website at http://www.aviationwithoutborders.org or http://www.freedom-in-the-air.com
(London - UK: Wednesday, June 4, 2008) On Friday 6th June 2008, Aviation Without Borders (AWB) and Cranfield Flight Training will be hosting an ‘Introduction to Aviation’ day beginning at 10:30 from Cranfield Airport in Bedfordshire. The day is named, for obvious reasons, Smiling Wings day and, with the support of EADS, will be Aviation Without Borders’ first at Cranfield Airport.
10 local children with disabilities from Bedfordshire and Luton will have the chance of a lifetime to experience the freedom of flight, in the hope that it may expand their horizons when they attend the “Smiling Wings” day. Children are all from The Disability Resource Centre, which is Bedfordshire and Luton’s leading independent disability information provider.
We intend to show that anyone with a disability can reach for the skies, and achieve virtually anything, sometimes with only the very smallest amount of support. The children’s ‘one off’ flight could be as life changing for them as someone who flies every week and ends up with their Private Pilots Licence. To have piloted an aircraft even once is clearly a massive experience for a person with a disability and a huge achievement.
The children, who have all recently accessed The Disability Resource Centres local Information and Advice services, will learn all about being a pilot, before having their own private 20min flight in a light aircraft with family members, where if they wish, they can take control of the aircraft. A PA28 Cherokee operated by Terry Akeroyd and fitted with the vision air hand control will be one of 3 aircrafts being flown on the day. The hand control enables a pilot with lower limb disabilities to operate the aeroplanes rudder pedals with their hands.
The day long event will culminate in each child receiving a personal record of their flight, together with a goody bag provided by Pooleys Flight Equipment and a signed certificate, as a memento of a very unique day.
Each year The Disability Resource Centre supports over 5,000 local people with disabilities, of which 10% are young adults with disabilities or who act as carers.
Commenting on the event, Mick Dillon, Chief Executive of the Dunstable based disability charity said “…we are indebted to the support Aviation without Borders has offered us to make the Smiling Wings day possible. With freedom comes confidence, which in turn encourages anyone with a disability to push back boundaries and look to change society’s typically negative attitude of disability.
Mike Willoughby, Chief Flying Instructor at Cranfield Flight Training comments “ Both myself and our organisation are keen to support the promotion of aviation to disabled people. We are happy to do as much as we can to help disabled people become pilots. As an instructor I am naturally keen to encourage anyone to learn to fly. My experience teaching Gautam Lewis was very rewarding and emphasised that anyone can learn to fly if they have the desire, are encouraged to do so and realise that most barriers to learning can be overcome.”
So far this year AWB has held events with The Scottish Aero club in Perth in April and with Synergy Aviation at Fairoaks in May. The Smiling Wings tour then goes on with one event each month over the summer to Cumbernauld, near Glasgow, White Waltham, near London, and finally to Manchester in September.
The day will be organised as a fun day for the children and it is hoped to see many smiles. If you wish further information please visit our website at http://www.aviationwithoutborders.org or http://www.freedom-in-the-air.com
