Take off with new £5K flying scholarship

Saturday 18 June 2016

Disabled Islanders are being encouraged to apply for the chance to take to the skies and learn to fly solo.

There’s £5,000 of training with the Jersey Aero Club up for grabs from Helping Wings for people with a lower limb disability.

Thanks to money raised by swimmers who took the plunge in the Jersey Lion’s Club Swimarathon, Helping Wings, the light aviation charity, has bought and kitted out one of Jersey Aero Club’s aircraft with a special hand control unit so that the plane’s rudder can be controlled by hand instead of by foot.

The scholarship will cover about 28 hours out of the 45 needed to obtain the full EASA (European) Private Pilot’s licence and the lucky student will get to fly solo after a medical examination.

Hundreds of disadvantaged or disabled children and young adults have enjoyed a flight around Jersey with volunteer pilots since 2008.

Anyone over the age of 15 with a lower limb disability can apply for the scholarship and you can download an application form here or pick one up from the Jersey Aero Club. It has to be in by the end of August.