11/08/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

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

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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.

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12/06/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

One women in aviation who i deeply admire is called Suzi Duncan. She lives in Melbourne, Australia and is herself a pilot with lower limb disability. She is also a flying instructor and an inventor. She designed the Vision air hand control which helps pilots with lower limb disabilities to operate the rudder and ground steering of a PA28. We have become friends and she has helped me and mentors me with my flying. She helped set up Wheelies with Wings in Australia, visit their site…

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08/05/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

It was a year ago that i started to research all things hand control related for pilots who have lower limb disability. It was also the same time that i started to form a friendship with Suzi Duncan who is a great inspiration for me and we have many things in common. Suzi worked on the development of the vision air hand control with Gippsland Aviation, down under in Melbourne. Read the rest of this entry »

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25/02/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

When i woke this morning, I hadn’t expected that i would be doing some flying. Days that are this full of surprise are magical. Through my home window in West London, i could see the sun beaming through the high clouds. With my morning coffee , I called Cranfield having checked the TAFS and METARS on the web to book G-ECGC.

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28/01/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

The last few times i flew G- ECGE have not been so great. i have been trying to master how a different set of hand controls are used on a type of aeroplane that i did not learn on. When i say not great, i had to get used to taxiing, and knowing how the steering works on the Cessna 172, with the differential breaking. Fine tuning the landing was also took a few hrs to get right. Read the rest of this entry »

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09/01/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Last year we interviewed Barry Cardno from Wanaka in New Zealand. He is a terrific person who is in the later stages of publishing his book about his experiences of having a plane crash and life before and afterwards. He sent us this brilliant video of hi flying in NZ. You can just make out him using the bolt on hand controls during take off and landing..

He told me “You might be able to tell its warm here by how my 160hp Cessna 172 never lept into the air off any of the airstrips (all at 1000+ ft ASL, and 28-30′C). There was three of us on board, but the trick is always fly to the conditions.”

His interview for those who have not read it yet can be found here…please click to read the full text

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11/12/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

I had the pleasure today of doing several new things in Aviation today!

1) Install a portable hand control for use in Cessna 172 and 177 Read the rest of this entry »

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03/12/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

After weeks of anticipation - the hand controls have finally arrived. I had a good chat with the CAA today and i shall report back after we have flown with them, and how they differ with the vision air controls.

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01/12/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

We are about to take delivery of a set of Union portable hand control for the Cessna and Grumman. Read the rest of this entry »

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