“Air is freedom”.
For Mark, who is profoundly deaf, the chance to take control
of a plane was something that seemed to be an impossible dream. Whilst Mark has
always held onto the ambition of becoming a commercial pilot, he had resigned
himself to the fact that his inability to hear would remain a barrier to achieving
this goal.
However, not one to give up, Mark found Aerobility and took
the first steps towards realising some of his dreams. On a rainy Saturday in
April, Mark made his way down the motorway with a very close eye on the ominous
black clouds that seemed to be following him.
Mark and his family waited patiently in the café, and although
they tried not to get their hopes up Mark did say that whilst watching the
other planes he wasn't sure if he was more excited or his two and half year old
daughter was! Finally the weather cleared and, after a briefing from Mike, the
budding pilot was all set and ready to go.
With his heart beating faster and faster, Mark tried to take
in everything that Mike was showing him on the control panel and prepare
himself for the flight ahead. After a smooth take off, the changeable weather
made for a bit of a bumpy ride and Mark told us that he found himself asking “erm,
is this normal?!”
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| Getting used to the controls! |
After a little bit of practice and some guidance from Mike,
control was handed over and Mark found that all of the information he’d been
given in the briefing finally made a bit of sense! The half an hour flight was
over much too fast, and Mark said that he didn't want to land because being in
the air made him feel “free as a bird, with no worries on the ground.”
This amazing achievement is a testament to Mark’s
determination to overcome the barriers that stood between him and flying. He
thanked Aerobility for giving him a new experience, saying that he had “never
felt so WOW”!
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| In the air at last... |
If, like Mark, you would like to fly then get in touch with
us. There are no barriers that cannot be overcome.
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