Disabled Airplane Pilots - Wheelchair Aviators

The International Wheelchair Aviators group began in 1972 with a group of four paraplegic aviators from Southern California that met once a month in a “Fly to Lunch” meeting. The International Wheelchair Aviators was founded on the principal to help disabled persons in their quest to fly by providing valuable information about FAA medical requirements, hand control availability, and flight schools that work with the disabled. Over the years the group of aviation enthusiasts grew into a worldwide network of hundreds of pilots; disabled and able bodied alike. Pilots with paraplegia, quadriplegia, amputees, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, polio, and others all flocked to join the international network of pilots that shared their passion of flying. Through tolerant FAA medical system, hundreds have been given the opportunity to fly, many to resume flying careers, other to fly for the first for the first time. The IWA also provides a current listing of over 200 handicap pilots, their injury, type of plane flown, hand control used, telephone number, and address. The list is a doorway for pilots with similar disabilities to share ideas and pass information of airplane conversions that worked for them etc. Over the past 25 years, several hundred IWA members have flown thousands of hours all over the world and in many different types of aircraft using hand controls or whatever was necessary to operate the aircraft as pilot in command. Many famous flights have been flown by IWA members. In 1984, the first round the world solo flight by a paraplegic. In 1995, Antonio Mello, was the second paraplegic to fly around the world. Paraplegic Ewald Tritscher flew a six month down the tip of South America. Paraplegic Lee Hamilton flew over the North Pole and back. Tim Ellison flew the London to Sydney air race and came in first in class, second over all. While most members fly for entertainment, some have made a living at it like Mike Smith, a paraplegic, used to own a flight school and air charter business call Pacific Crest. The business became very successful in fire fighting government contracts. Mike sold the company and became an independent flight instructor for disabled pilots. IWA members also do charity work, giving back to the disabled community through their aviation skills.  Rick Amber, a quadriplegic, flies all over the country taking hundreds of disabled kids for free rides and organized several other IWA members around the country to help with the flying. Several pilots joined together flying on the annual “Eagle” flight that gives thousands of kids that are disabled rides over Disneyland. “TakeWing” is a network of disabled pilots that fly the disadvantaged in Oregon that need air travel. “Flying Samaritan” is a group of IWA pilots that volunteer their planes and time to fly patients that have special needs to treatment centers to receive care. The Paradise P1 aircraft is a plane that began as an experimental four person sport plane. However, when the inventor of the aircraft was approached by a disabled pilot, the plane was converted to be a two person handicap accessible plane that works solely on hand controls. The entrance is a wide, front composite door where pilots can easily lift themselves into the pilots chair, strap in, and reach down and collapse their wheelchair and store it in the large cargo area. Most sport planes don’t have enough cargo space to carry a pilot, an overnight bag, passenger, and a wheelchair. The Paradise P1 has more than enough. Dual panel mounted yokes allow for a wide open cargo area and a removable front passenger seat. The plane works through a “T-handle” system that has two functions that work the rudder simultaneously. The brakes are actuated, communicate, and accelerate by the pilots left hand and the right hand controls the taxi. The Paradise plane is one of the first totally accessible handicap airplanes available on the market. For more information on the International Wheelchair Aviators organization, they can be contacted through their website at wheelchairaviators.org or through their Facebook page.