August has been another busy month at Aerobility, with
flying to do or flying to watch or flying to talk about from across the
Atlantic, past Blackbushe, over Tatenhill and into Europe. We’ve been busy on
the ground too, expanding our services and expanding our building! Here’s an
update for you on just some of the things we got up to:
Flying Day Fun
We’ve enjoyed two great flying days in August, one at
Elstree Aerodrome and one here at Blackbushe. A few weeks ago, Aerobility instructors
James, Peter and Mike, with support from volunteer Roger, took an aircraft each
up to Elstree to provide a day of flying for disability charity Guideposts Trust. Guideposts work with
people who have mental health issues, dementia, learning disabilities and
physical impairments and provide support and care to ensure that everyone can
lead independent lives. Aerobility’s relationship with Guideposts is a long and
successful one – we met over 7 years ago at an airshow and have been
collaborating to provide an annual flying day ever since.
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| Guideposts Trust Flying Day 2013 |
Aerobility member and long-time supporter, Simon Rapkin, is
a key success factor in the continuing success of our relationship with
Guideposts. He was on-hand to ensure that the day ran smoothly and that fun was
had by all. His inventive aviation quiz added a touch of competition and proved
challenging for certain members of the Aerobility team….
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| A successful flight! |
With over twenty flights completed in one very busy day,
there were plenty of smiles around to show how much fun was had by all. We’d
like to say a very big thank you to Guideposts, Simon and the team at Elstree
for making us so welcome. We’re looking forward to next year already!
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| The Aerobility Team |
This week, we were also very pleased to be visited for the
second time by a group from the organisation Sportability. After a successful day of flying earlier this summer,
Sportability decided it was worth making a second trip! Once the early morning
fog had cleared away, another twelve trial flights were completed from
Aerobility HQ at Blackbushe. We received some lovely feedback from those who
flew, including these sentiments:
“A very BIG THANK YOU…
I had the pleasure of flying a plane with James today… What a brilliant
experience & a great day with friendly helpful staff”
We hope to continue building this relationship with
Sportability and look forward to their next visit!
Overseas Adventures
This month, we managed to show our faces at not one but two
international airshows. In a very rare escape from the office, CEO Mike made everyone
jealous by attending the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. He was joined there by
Aerobility Chairman Shona, and they have come home with lots of amazing
aviation stories. A few photos below for you – let’s start planning an official
Aerobility trip for 2014?!
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| Just a few aircraft to look at... |
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| Nothing by half in America. |
Aerobility also took a delegation to Gruyere for Handiflight
2013 – the 5th International Meeting of Disabled Pilots. CFI James
and member Barry set off for Switzerland in the Cherokee Six on a quiet Sunday
morning, with a quick stop off at Troyes in central France. As always, it was a
fantastic few days and there are some amazing photos and videos below for you
to have a look at. Keep an eye out for a full write-up in the next edition of
the magazine.
Air to Air https://vimeo.com/73059060
Ballooning https://vimeo.com/73280159
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| A great view from the bar! |
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| The Cherokee showing how diverse it is! |
On The Ground
Not only have we had a busy summer up in the air, there’s
also been a lot of activity happening on the ground! Over July and August we
introduced over 50 young people to the possibilities of aviation through our new
Aviation Experience sessions. With the support of a great team of volunteers,
we have successfully been able to complete this busy summer programme that has
seen groups of young people from organisations such as Challengers, halow and
Enable Ability taking part.
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| Concentrating on getting those models just right! |
The Aviation Experience sessions give young people with
learning and physical disabilities the opportunity to engage with aviation.
Using simple models, the simulator and our aircraft we are able to explain the
basic principles of flight, give everyone the chance to try out their skills in
the simulator and then get up close with the real thing. We look forward to
more Aviation Experiences in the future!
We have also recently been accepted for corporate membership
of the ‘Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’ (AOPA), which is great news and
an illustration of our continued development. We look forward to supporting
AOPA in its work for the aviation community.
So as you can see, we’re successfully expanding our services
and widening our networks and this has resulted in Aerobility HQ becoming a bit
of a squeeze! With students revising Air Law in the kitchen and pop-up desks
appearing in any available corner we had to face up to the fact that our
building was not quite big enough anymore…
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| Early morning arrival! |
After a long search for a suitable unit, we were all very excited
when our new extension arrived on the back of a lorry very early one Thursday
morning! The extension was attached in record time and is now painted, carpeted
and looking lovely. We’ll be filling it with donated furniture and lots of
activity over the next few weeks, so do come and have a look if you’re passing!
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| The extension. |
Upcoming Events: Dates for the Diary!
Simulator Sessions:
On Tuesday 10th September we
have a volunteer instructor operating the simulator for a day at Blackbushe. If
you would like to book some time in the simulator please get in touch with the
office at Blackbushe. A good chance to practise those circuits….
The Duxford Airshow: A
few members have told us that they will be going along to the Duxford Airshow
this Sunday (8th September) – if you were thinking of going along
and would like to meet up with other Aerobility faithful, let us know and we
can put you in touch! http://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/the-duxford-air-show
Air First and
Blackbushe Airport Family Fun Day: If you don’t fancy Duxford but would like
your aviation fix this weekend, then come along to Blackbushe on Sunday. Air
First are holding a family fun day and there’s lots of exciting activities to
get involved in!
That’s all for now! If you have any stories or photos that
you would like to share, remember to email them to geri@aerobility.com and we will include
them in the blog! If you are attending events or airshows, and would like to
meet up with other Aerobility members who might be going along, then let us
know and we can put you in touch!
Happy Landings
The Aerobility Team
While nothing can prepare anyone for an unanticipated disability, there is one thing we can do, and that offers hope. charity for people with disabilities
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