The Story of A Paraplegic Trike Pilot

[extra300s]

Flight-Ability.
The Story of A Paraplegic Trike Pilot.
Hi, My name is Sean Scott. I’m a 36 year old male living in Linden, NC. In 1980, the day after my 13th birthday I was accidentally shot by a young friend playing with his parent’s handgun. The gunshot caused permanent paralysis from the lower chest down. As any one would, I adapted to the paralysis and went on with life. Adjusting to a disability isn’t something that is easy for everyone to do. Some people even think they would rather be dead then live paralyzed. But since I was young it made things a little easier for me to live with. I have seen all the hard things that come about in daily living from being in a wheelchair. A lot of things that someone walking wouldn’t even think about, like getting up stairs or curbs or if a door is wide enough for me to get through with my wheelchair. Along with going to the bathroom or transferring to a bed.
I have always been a pretty active disabled person. Including wheelchair basketball, riding ATV’s, Jet Skis and getting my drivers License at a young age. Owning Hot Rod cars and all that. My father was a General Aviation Private Pilot and had the flying bug. I always loved to fly with him when I was growing up. My Father flew the family across the United States in a Cessna to visit relatives when I was around 11. Ever since then I always loved to fly.
The thing I found to make me forget about my paralysis the most is flying a weight-shift Trike. A few years ago I seen a movie called “Fly Away Home” It was about the exploits of Bill Lishman and Joe Duff, Bill and his family and friends taught hand raised motherless Canadian Geese how to migrate using a Ultralight weight-shift Trike and are doing it to this day calling it Operation Migration. That movie got me interested in flying more then ever.
After seeing “Fly Away Home” I started investigating all the Ultralight Trikes on the Net to see what was out there and how much they cost. I came up with the same choice as Bill, The Phase II Trike. I found the Cosmos to have the best reputation so I made a call to Don Reinhart, the Importer of the Cosmos Trikes at the time, Don was owner of Personal Flight Inc. He sent me an Introduction Video, which I was impressed with so I decided to buy. Don helped me with my order and helped me find the instructor needed. He also explained to the manufacture about my situation with my paralysis. Guess what? They had already adapted one of their Trikes with hand controls for a disabled Pilot. The hand controls consisted of a Twist throttle mounted on the control bar and a ground control stick mounted between your legs like a 3-axis stick in a plane. You pull the stick back to turn left and push forward to turn right, when you are on the ground. It had a hand break mounted on it for stopping after landing and taxing.
After ordering the Trike I bought a book about flying Trikes called “Trikes, The Flex Wing Flyer”. Written by a couple well-known Trikers, Hal Mc Swain & Lucian Bartosik. I learned all the basics of flying a Trike before I even got in one. I was prepared for the training mentally and spiritually. My first training was with a local dealer of powered parachutes and avid Triker Henry Muller. A friendly neighbor and avid ultra-light Pilot Doctor Kenny Garret let me use his 2800’ grass strip. Where I took 2 hours of in flight training from Henry. Along with my Father taking 2 hours of instruction, as it was all I could afford and all he needed being a Pilot already. Henry lived half way across the state so I went on using my Dad as the instructor. I found the Trike easy to get into and a breeze to operate with the hand control setup. I flew another hour and a half off of Doctor Garret’s field with Dad before he though I was ready enough to solo. I took the first flight alone November 30, 1998 after just 3-1/2 hours of instruction, cutting the average instruction time by about 10 hours. What an amazing feeling flying high in the sky all a lone. I flew for over an hour and a half before I came down.
Flying a Trike makes me forget about my paralysis! After that solo all I could think about was if the weather was nice enough to fly again. I have been flying my Trike as often as the weather permits. I usually keep it ready to fly, so when the right weather comes along all I have to do is take-off. I urge everyone, disabled or not to fly in a weight-shift Trike at least once in their life. It will bring out the confidence in them. You will see the earth in a whole new dimension! Nothing makes me forget about my paralysis more than flying alone, high in the sky with no obstacles to get in my way. There's nothing like the feeling you get with the wind in your face. It's like riding a Harley in the sky. You get the feeling that a bird gets when they're soaring on a thermal, the feeling of real freedom!
Now I know why birds are always flying. Now that I know what it's like, I fly every chance I get!
I guess Leonardo De Vinci was right when he said: "Once you have tasted flight you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned upward"
Since then I have had a 3page story written about my flying in the April 99 issue of Ultra-Light Magazine. I became a Dealer for many trike and flying boat Manufactures, Selling new and preowned Ultra-light Aircraft as well as a Certified ASC Basic Flight Instructor. In April of 2000 I took my FAA Written Examination (FOI) and flight test at the Sun-N-Fun Air Show held ever year at Lake Land Florida. Where I had the pleasure of meeting Bill Lishman and thanking him for getting me into Trikes with the movie "Fly Away Home". I am now one of few ASC Certified weight-shift land Trike Instructors in North Carolina. Some of My Triking Photos.

See to http://flightability.bizland.com/page76.htm

[Morph]

Very inspirational. Where there is a will, there is a way

[grostek]

Talk about guts and determination.

Kind regards

Gunter Rostek.

[AndyG]

One word,


AMAZING

[C205]

One word,


AMAZING

Not really. Life doesn't stop just because you're paralysed, you've still got the same dreams and where there's a will there's a way.
I am a paraplegic as well, although I would never have thought of flying a trike. I went solo on a trike when I still had some function in my legs, but I'm now wheelchair bound. I fly a Quicksilver MXII because I don't need to taxi it with my legs, if you've flown one of these dynosaurs before you'll know that it can be taxied using power and rudder (stick). My case is before the Institute of Aviation Medicine panel at this stage and I'm hoping for some positive news soon before I can fly solo again and complete my MPL.
I am flying thanks to the generosity of some friends: one who went out and bought a plane for me to fly and another who gave me a plane, which I'm still trying to get into the air (but that's another story). I have a tame 'mechanic' who helps me with the labour, refuelling etc on the aircraft in return for flying because in addition to being paralysed I'm also a girl.
There have been other paraplegics (even a quadruplegic) who have been flying. I have heard of an instructor in the Groblersdal area long time ago and a Bantam pilot in the Lowveld.
also see
http://www.daasa.co.za/
The Disabled Aviation Association is affiliated to Aero Club of SA, but has been rather quiet lately.

[AndyG]

Don't get me wrong I am not saying that life stops if you become paralysed. I just find it an "amazing" story of courage and determination.

I wish you all the best with your medical and enjoy the flying

Cheers,

[Nkwazi]

"You go girl!!" as they say in the classics

[Uncle Spud Murphy]

Leftseat sent an awe inspiring email to me recently titled Oh Man!!!!!!
Made you realise in the most inspirational way that we need to look at our lives from another angle.

Have forwarded that email to many others because it inspired me. Email me direct and I will forward it to you also
spud@jerrymurphy1627.wanadoo.co.uk

To those less fortunate in mobility than we are, you are in inspiration in courage as is the young lad that Dre'man55 told us about. You live by the same rule each day. NEVER GIVE UP NEVER GIVE IN. Leftseat said you are amazing and amazing people you are.

Alles van die beste

[Trikenut]

VERY insperational!

[AndyG]

Ross,

Tell your tutor you need more spelling lessons. Your unglish iz giting goodderer thun myn

[C205]

Good news is that I have been declared fit to fly pending a flight with a 'CAA approved instructor'. This is to prove that I have no problem controlling the microlight. I am now hoping to contact an instructor in Middelburg for the flight test but the weather's not too great lately.

[Morph]

Fantastic news C205,

[Gyronaut]

Flying a Trike makes me forget about my paralysis!

WOW! is all I need to add.

Good for you too C205, well done!

Len

[LarryMcG]

Best of luck, let us know how it goes!

[Low Level]

Good news is that I have been declared fit to fly pending a flight with a 'CAA approved instructor'. This is to prove that I have no problem controlling the microlight. I am now hoping to contact an instructor in Middelburg for the flight test but the weather's not too great lately.

Jana - good for you. Presume we won't see you in your car at the next fly-inn. ...............................close to Witbank.