Mark has always been very self-reliant and ambitious. Following his mother’s death from cancer, Mark joined the Navy when he was 17 years old
and over 1.5 years passed the 52 exams required to become a Navy Engineer. He was medically discharged in 2004 (aged 23
years) with severe back and neck injuries following a powerboat crash whilst in
service. Mark has been in pain every day
since the accident and two years ago his back gave out and he temporarily lost
the use of his legs. This was a huge
physical challenge for Mark who had always been very active and sporty.
Mark
joined Band of Brothers (part of Help for Heroes that provide lifelong access
to support and opportunities to their members) and in April 2015 was offered a
trial flight at Aerobility. Mark had always wanted to fly and with support from
Aerobility staff he successfully applied for funding from Help for Heroes and
The Air League (who are supported in this project by Boeing) for lessons to
achieve his Private Pilot’s License (PPL). At the same time Mark also started full time work
as a Salesperson in a Car Dealership. Mark has now completed 16 hours of flying
over 20 lessons, is about to start flying solo and aims to have achieved his
PPL by September 2016. Once qualified he
plans to apply to be a commercial pilot.
‘I get such a buzz from flying
and have found my drive and ambition to achieve again. I am very excited about my future career and
the foundations I am creating for a new life.
I am getting married in June, we are buying a house in July and then
planning to start a family. I am so
grateful to my amazing fiancé Lucy for all her support and encouragement she
has transformed my life. When I was out
of work and living on benefits I felt so restricted. My world has now opened up, the freedom I
feel in the air helps me manage my pain and it feels so great to be using my
brain again. My flying scholarship is an
opportunity I never thought I would have and I know that if I push myself I can
become a commercial pilot.’
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