Able Flight, a nonprofit group that works to offer flight training to people with disabilities, awarded its first scholarships last December, and last week the group graduated its first certified pilot. Only a few days after the one-year anniversary of the accident that left him paralyzed, scholarship winner Brad Jones, 22, earned his sport pilot certificate. Jones trained for a month at Hansen Air Group in Kennesaw, Ga., flying a specially adapted Sky Arrow. Instructors Mitch Hansen and Mike Davidson said Jones is a “natural stick and rudder pilot with excellent piloting skills, and possesses the kind of judgment that makes for a good pilot.” Jones said the experience has boosted his confidence. “Life is challenging for me every day, and I feel now that I am a pilot, theres nothing that I cant do,” he said. “I would say to others in my situation who may consider learning to fly to go for it. It is a challenge, but if you do it, it shows you that no matter what disability you may have, its not going to hold you back.”
Able Flight Graduates First Pilot
Key Takeaways:
- Able Flight, a nonprofit providing flight training to people with disabilities, recently celebrated its first certified pilot, Brad Jones, just a year after an accident left him paralyzed.
- Jones, 22, earned his sport pilot certificate after a month of training in a specially adapted Sky Arrow, with instructors noting his natural piloting skills.
- The experience significantly boosted Jones' confidence, making him feel "there's nothing that I can't do" and inspiring him to encourage others with disabilities to pursue flying as a testament that nothing can hold them back.
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