Mobility Info - USA
US Disabled Flying Clubs
Disabled pilots are allowed to fly in many countries, provided they have passed certain fitness and medical criteria to obtain a pilot medical certificate. Disabled pilots include those with amputations, hearing and vision impairments and other long-term conditions, not just people who use wheelchairs. Some countries are more welcoming to disabled pilots than others; the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, France, Australia and New Zealand are among the better nations in this regard.
Local flying clubs will often allow disabled pilots to train alongside able-bodied pilots. Sometimes a specially adapted plane is required, in which hand controls replace foot pedals or vice versa, depending on the nature of the pilot’s disability. Some hand controls are portable, so they can be installed or removed as needed, whereas other aircraft include them as a permanent adaptation. Several models of airplane lend themselves to conversion and ease of access, including the Piper Cherokee and certain Cessna classes.
After a certain number of hours of flight training, the disabled pilot sits a flexible medical flight test with an examiner in order to determine their capability to control the aircraft independently. However, some disabilities demand that the pilot fly accompanied by a safety pilot, who can take over should the pilot become incapacitated. Such disabilities might include heart problems and diabetes, but each pilot’s individual circumstances will vary.
A new category of flying license, the Sports Pilot license, allows a pilot to fly with just a valid driver’s license – no further medical is required. There are, naturally, limitations on the types of plane and times of flight allowed under this license, but the training time and associated costs are correspondingly lower.
International Wheelchair Aviators (www.wheelchairaviators.org/), founded in California in 1972, is a worldwide organization of disabled and able-bodied pilots, with over 250 members. Members, the majority of whom have disabilities ranging from paraplegia, quadriplegia and amputations to multiple sclerosis, spina bifida and polio, receive a bi-monthly newsletter and have access to information on other handicapped pilots, who can be an invaluable source of advice and support. Planes currently flown by disabled members include various classes of Cessna, Piper Cherokee, Arrow, Saratoga, Lance Beechcraft Bonanza and A-36.
Hundreds of members have been given the opportunity to experience flying for the first time or to resume flying after an accident, illness or deterioration of an existing condition. While most members fly for recreation and enjoyment, some need to fly for transportation purposes or as an integral part of a business. Flying demands mental alertness and good reflexes rather than strength, so most physical disabilities can be overcome with suitable adaptations. I.W.A. can provide information on hand controls and flight schools working with the disabled, as well as Federal Aviation Administration medical requirements.
Philly Sport Pilot, LLC (www.phillysportpilot.com) is a flight trainer based at Spitfire Airport just outside Philadelphia. Specializing in disabled pilot training, its motto is “Flying for everyone who wants to do it.” Philly Sport Pilot is owned and operated by a disabled pilot, and offers training towards the Sport Pilot License. As mentioned above, this entails less training and medical testing, but can also act as a stepping-stone towards achieving a full private pilot’s license. After passing a written test and a flight test, holders of the Sport Pilot License are entitled to fly any light sport aircraft (maximum weight 1320lbs, maximum speed 138mph) unlimited distances within the U.S.A., in fine weather during daylight hours. License holders can fly solo or can take one passenger.
The airplane used, the Skyarrow, was designed by a disabled person and is the world’s only plane constructed with hand controls integrated into the flight control system. In addition, the hand controls can be removed quickly and easily, allowing the aircraft to be flown in the traditional manner. Access to the tandem cockpit is easy for those with mobility problems, thanks to the high wing position. The Skyarrow is made from strong carbon fiber and is suitable for use by pilots training towards a full pilot’s license.
Able Flight (www.ableflight.org/) offers scholarships to people with disabilities, to enable them to undertake training leading to a Sport Pilot License. Able Flight is incorporated as a non-profit organization and is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, though it co-ordinates training at several locations throughout the States, including Pennsylvania (see above), Minnesota, Florida and Arizona. Anyone with a physical disability that significantly impairs function can apply for a scholarship.
Three types of scholarship are available. Full Scholarships, leading to a Sport Pilot License, are open to those aged 17 and over and in possession of a valid driver’s license. They should be capable of operating the controls, with adaptations if necessary. Return-to-Flight Scholarships are for people who have become disabled since achieving a pilot’s license and who wish to return to flying via the Sport Pilot route. Lastly, Flight Training Challenge Scholarships are for dual instruction only and do not lead to a Sport Pilot License.
Freedom’s Wings International (www.freedomswings.org/) is a non-profit organization run by and for those with physical disabilities. Based in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, it is an all-volunteer organization whose membership is open to everyone. Its main purpose is to give disabled people the opportunity to experience flight in specially adapted sailplanes or gliders.
In soaring (gliding), the sailplane is towed into the sky by a regular aircraft before being released to soar high using thermal currents and to glide back down to earth. Flights last from twenty minutes up to two hours; the initial twenty-minute introductory flight is free for the disabled. Freedom’s Wings operates out of Van Sant Airport, Pennsylvania and Blairstown Airport, New Jersey, but planes can also be taken to other suitable soaring clubs and airports as part of the organization’s outreach program. Flight sessions take place seven days a week, weather permitting, from 1st April to 1st December.
In Canada, Freedom’s Wings Canada (www.freedomswings.ca/) provides disabled people with the opportunity to experience flight. A strategic alliance between gliding clubs, a registered charity and disability organizations, Freedom’s Wings currently has chapters in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. The needs of pilots with disabilities are met by the aircraft used: the Grob Twin Astir, Grob 103 and L-13 Blanik.
Freedom’s Wings offers the experience of sailplane soaring as well as training towards eventual certification, where possible and practical. In their Inspiration Flight program, the passenger is given a ground briefing before taking to the air. While airborne, the passenger can even try the controls if they so wish – some gliders are fitted with adaptive hand controls. A rudder stick duplicates the control input of pedals. Alternatively, the Learn to Soar program offers instruction leading to independent solo flight. In addition to ground school study, this entails approximately 55 dual flights followed by a number of solo ventures, an examination from Transport Canada and a medical assessment.
