Bracknell Kids Flying Day

Our first flying day with a group of disabled youngsters from Bracknell via the charity ' Kids' went really well. Team leader Clare told us..

"I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you for an amazing day.  Our young people got so much out of it, it was absolutely brilliant and indescribable to see how much joy and confidence they got out of realising they were flying the plane.   Please thank all your team for their hard work and patience on the day. You are all amazing."

A great group From Bracknell Kids. We look forward to working with them again.

Novice runner Adele gets ready to go the distance for Aerobility

Go for It Adele! Good luck from all at Aerobility. Please follow the link at the end of the newspaper article to Adele's Justgiving page and give generously in support of her fantastic hard work.

Portsmouth newspaper article

The Aerobility Garden

Aerobility volunteers Katy, Audrey and Andrea have been digging in the hard dry ground of Blackbushe Airport to create a welcoming horticultural lead in to our building..

Thanks also to Graham from Air First who was nobbled into using the fork on his way past!

Members Opening-Day Pictures

Over Easter I finally had time to sort out recent photographs. Here are some nice snaps from our recent members open day at Blackbushe.

Great to see so many members

Next generation Aerobility volunteers

Full House

Great Spread

Chatting in the warm spring sunshine

Doncaster deaf kids go flying with Aerobility

Our first flying day at Doncaster Robin Hood Airport has been getting some great coverage in the local press..

http://www.spenboroughguardian.co.uk/news/local/deaf-children-go-up-and-away-1-4419683#

Aerobility Flys Kirklees Deaf Children

Aerobility recently organised a fun introductory session for children from Kirklees Deaf Childrens’ Society, at Robin Hood Airport Doncaster. Despite extremely poor visibility at the start of the day, we were able to fly in two aircraft from Tatenhill and one from Blackbushe to ensure that we flew everyone. In all, we flew around eleven flights, and by all accounts the children very much enjoyed their introduction to flying.

Robin Hood is also home to XH558 the magnificent Vulcan, restored to flight by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust who hosted the children and arranged tours of this iconic aircraft.

Another Aerobility Student flies through the Skills Test

Cpl Dave Rawlins completed all his training with Aerobility and passed his JAA PPL Skills Test with flying colours on 21st March 2012.

A BIG well done to Dave Rawlins who recently passed his skills test. Dave, one of our Battleback students, had been ready to take his skills test for several months having completed the majority of his training in 2011. But previously booked tests had been cancelled primarily due to unsuitable weather. Dave kept in good flying practice, but when he popped into Aerobility's new flying base at Blackbushe last Wednesday, he wasn't expecting to take his test. He wasn't even booked to fly. He was, in fact. just passing by.  Big mistake!  The weather was nearly perfect and after making several inquiries, Dave was duly informed by his Instructor that he would be taking his test that afternoon. As he sat preparing his flight, reports were made of Dave muttering under his breath along the lines of having been 'stitched up' by his Instructor. But, in this instance, his Instructor was vindicated. Dave passed with flying colours. The examiner reported literally "no debrief points", i.e. Dave flew very well. The smile on his face sums it up nicely. Well done Dave.

Duxford Video

Gowrings Mobility has produced this Video of our recent collaboration at the Imperial War Museum Duxford. Click on the link below to view on YouTube.

Duxford Video

Aircraft Parking at Aerobility HQ

Doesn't time fly. We're fast settling into our new HQ at Blackbushe Airport and are pleased to announce new parking arrangements for our aircraft.

We've had to park the aircraft in various places till now, initially on the grass visitor parking spaces, then on hard parking (several hundred yards away from our building). But now we have two parking spaces right outside our building. See attached pictures.

Our thanks go to Clearprop Microlight School for agreeing to move their aircraft to make space for us.  We can now access 2 of our 4 aircraft very easily indeed, including easy access to the hoist too.

Cleaning Friday at Blackbushe

Thanks to everyone who turned up at Blackbushe last Friday in a great effort to get 'Yankee Yankee' and 'Foxtrot Mike' gleaming for our open day. Thanks also to the support of Frasers Aerospace who supplied us with complimentary cleaning materials. The days work was finished off with a rendition of Happy Birthday for volunteer Isabel who had kindly given up time on her special day to support us. Great effort gang, and thanks a lot.

Lucky Louise Wins a Flight

Lucky Louise Edwards of Aylesbury has taken to the skies above the Imperial War Museum at Duxford (IWM), thanks to Back Up, Gowrings Mobility and Aerobility. Louise won a competition through Back Up.

Said Micah Jorrisch of Back Up “We were very pleased to work with Gowrings Mobility and Aerobility to provide such a unique experience to one of our supporters. Our Facebook page was inundated with people eager to win the competition, but Lucky Louise won out! Working together like this goes to show that both Back Up, Aerobility and Gowrings Mobility are dedicated to helping people live confident and independent lives.”

The flight took place during the Gowrings Mobility Roadshow at IWM. The facilities at IWM offered an exceptional opportunity to work with Aerobility to give some lucky visitors a most inspiring experience – a 20 minute flight above the museum taking control of the specially adapted plane.


”Louise told us, “I had an excellent day and an exhilarating flight. I was a little nervous to take to the air but actually loved it and can't believe the pilot actually let me take control of the plane! Thanks to everyone involved for making it a memorable day. Who knows, maybe I will take to the skies again soon, it has certainly inspired me.

"Flying is Freedom" Says Derek

Aerobility were delighted to fly Derek Carpenter recently when he visited the Imperial War Museum at Duxford after winning a competion run by Gowrings Mobility. 64 year old Derek didn't let his disability stop him from taking to the skies and piloting a plane with Aerobility Instructor James Brown.

He said: “No sooner had we climbed to a thousand feet and the pilot James said to me, ‘The controls are yours Derek…’.

“What an experience, what joy. We flew near to where we live, Haverhill.

“All the time I was completing turns, climbing, descending, having a Ball.

“All too soon we turned back to Duxford, passengers comfortable, me buzzing.

“James asked me to hold the controls whilst he landed which I have to say was very exhilarating, then he let me taxi back to the hanger.

“It does not really matter what disability you have, with human spirit and determination obstacles can be overcome.

“You must try this, flying is freedom, and it empowers you.”

Derek, who has Prostate Cancer, type 2 diabetes and poor mobility, is involved with Cambridge Cancer Help Centre.

It was while researching some information about a wheelchair accessible vehicle for someone else at the centre that he heard about the competition.

He enjoyed an exhilarating and inspiring flight in Aerobility’s 4 seater plane.

His wife Rosemary and Ted Sage, the chairman of the trustees for the Cambridge Cancer Help Centre were his passengers.