17/08/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

This article on Aviation Without Borders Smiling Wings day was featured in Scotlands Sunday Post, August 10th 2008 - click on image for a large view to read the story.

Posted in Media | Print | No Comments »

17/08/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

For the past 6 months, this new baby pilot has been doing various nav ex to aerodromes such as Wellsbourne, Gloucester, Oxford, Southend, Leicester and Connington (many times) and lots of local VFR flights out of Cranfield. This flight to Old Sarum would now be testing as the route would cross RAF Benson MATZ (Military Air Traffic Zone), RAF Boscombe Down combined MATZ and routing away from Southampton Control Zone class D airspace to Old Sarum. Old Sarum is tucked neatly between Thruxton, Boscombe Down, Middle Wallop and the historic Cathedral town of Salisbury. The route back took us over Stonehenge, keeping south of danger zone and south of the A303, towards Andover, then back to RAF Benson and home to Cranfield. A brilliant day out!

Posted in Plane trips | Print | No Comments »

11/08/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

This plane trip is dedicated to our patron Suzi Duncan..flying from Cranfield - Leicester - Cranfield

Posted in Patrons and Ambassadors, Hand Controls, Film, Plane trips | Print | No Comments »

10/08/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Aviation Without Borders (AWB) hosted its fourth ‘Introduction to Aviation Day’ of the year on Tuesday 6th August at White Waltham Aerodrome, situated just off the M4 about 15 miles west of Heathrow. The day is named, for obvious reasons, Smiling Wings day, and was supported by EADS and the West London Aero Club.

Smiling Wings days introduce disadvantaged or disabled youngsters to general aviation. Our guests on the 5th were children from Kids Company, a charity which provides practical, emotional and educational support to vulnerable inner-city children and young people. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Smiling Wings, Aviation Without Borders | Print | No Comments »

10/08/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Yesterday morning, I had one of the most special telephone conversations in my life. I was speaking with Suzi Duncan who is a pilot, instructor, and developed and designed the Vision Air hand control for pilots with lower limb disabilities. I was a little tearful when she told me that she would be Freedom in the Air’s patron. She is a great symbol for aviation and for helping people with disabilities in aviation. Suzi is one of my heroes and i know will inspire and motivate many more pilots to come.

In 1997 Suzi received the “Nancy Bird Award for, the most significant contribution to aviation by a woman of Australasia”. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Patrons and Ambassadors, Disability news | Print | No Comments »

07/08/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

GET UP STAND UP! A FANTASTIC SUCCESS AT GLASTONBURY LEFTFIELD STAGE

Listed at 16 in the top ‘50 things to do at Glastonbury‘. The guys filled Leftfield and beyond, raising awareness about nuclear weapons with their show of comedy, music and politics. We are glad to be able to help book the music talent for them and now look forward to Peace of Art event on Nov 4th.

Thanks to Geoff and all at Leftfield, to Nick Doody
Marcus Brigstocke
The Paddingtons
Tony Benn
Shazia Mirza
Matt Kirshen
Simon Munnery
The Beat

visit Come Clean which is run by Carol Naughton and an Ambassador for Freedom in the Air. Carol a trained Paediatric Physiotherapist spent years fighting to get the skills and talents of young people with disabilities recognised and to encourage them to get out there and do it for themselves!!

Posted in Ambassadors of FITA, Good causes, Music | Print | No Comments »

05/08/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

The day started with me doing a phone interview with BBC radio Berkshire about Smiling Wings at White Waltham with youngsters from Kids Company . Kids Company is an amazing organisation run by a wonderful person called Camila Batmanghelidjh. She set up Kids Company in order to provide practical, emotional and educational support to vulnerable inner-city children and young people.

Here is the slideshow from the day – this link is without music
http://www.aviationwithoutborders.org/smile/whitewaltham/index.html

The majority of the children who they care for have with severe emotional, behavioural and social difficulties, resulting from significant experiences of trauma and neglect. Many of them are ‘lone children’ living in chronic deprivation, with limited or no support from the adults in their family.

With the aid of Aviation Without Borders and the West London Aero Club, the kids took off Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Smiling Wings, Aviation Without Borders | Print | No Comments »

05/08/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

On Sunday 3rd August, I went for a local VFR flight to Fenland, flying over Connington, then back to Cranfield. It was a great flight. Being on my own and enjoying the freedom of flight.

Once parked and back at Terry’s club house, I met with Symeon. He is an Aeronautical engineer with the Greek Airforce and has been at Cranfield University studying MSc Aeronautical Engineering. He is one of the student who has dedicated their final project to designing and making a hand control for pilots with lower limb disabilities. Trem is the other student who is working on a system for the PS28, whilst Symeon is working on a system for the C172. Both students are now in the manufacturing stage and both designed are scheduled for testing at the end of August. Here is a short slide show of the design for C172. In this show you can see us with the Union which i use for the C172. Symeon’s idea is an evolution from that design. Later in the week, we will upload a sneak view of what Trem has been developing.

Posted in Disability news, Hand Controls | Print | No Comments »