Adele Schneidereit Wednesday carried her abilities over the hurdle of cerebral palsy (a birth defect that causes paralysis of one or more limbs) to earn her private pilot’s certificate — bringing her one step closer to a goal of piloting an aircraft around the world. And making a movie about it (watch the trailer, here). Aside from the physical challenges of flight, it took her 11 months to satisfy the FAA medical/SODA process. She also changed flight schools mid-stream, forcing her to re-fly her fundamentals with a new instructor who could then be confident signing her logbook endorsements. Schneidereit flies without the aid of cockpit modifications, but says she does “do certain things differently” and has become a master of trim — using trim “as a tool and not merely a labor-saving device.” Those skills should serve her well as she advances to her instrument rating and begins to train for her round-the-world jaunt with shorter trips to Mexico and Canada.
Schneidereit is co-founder and CEO of the Inspire the World Foundation, raising awareness and money for research to find a cure for cerebral palsy.
