Kim Jaeger is a through-knee amputee, has so far pursued her ambition to learn to fly (that part of the dream is well under way) and to gain her Private Pilot’s Licence with dogged determination.
She was the first to receive a Lady Bader Grant – from The Douglas Bader Foundation; special grants set up in the name of Lady Bader following her death in December 2015, for people with disabilities pursuing goals close to her own heart.
While she never flew solo, Lady Bader loved accompanying Sir Douglas on his flying sorties and was more than happy to take the controls when the opportunity arose!
We know that Lady Bader would be hugely proud to be able to support Kim in achieving her ambition and are sure she’ll be up there with her in spirit egging her on!
To learn more about The Douglas Bader Foundation and the work of the other organizations helping Kim ‘ Reach for the Skies‘ visit:
During my most recent flying lesson (mid-April 2017), for various reasons which I’ll explain below, my pre-flight briefing took place outside. Normally I have my pre-flights in the briefing room with my instructor. On that particular day, Elstree Airport’s (EGTR) air traffic control gave us rare permission to drive to the plane. So, Ivan drove me in his car to the plane. Normally I would wheel myself in the wheelchair, then put the wheelchair in the back seat of the plane before going flying.
I got out of Ivan’s car and crawled slowly to the plane. YES, you heard me right – crawled!
Why did I crawl you may be wondering? Well, the day before, some lovely fellow human stole my wheelchair from outside my house; from my front door no less! That thief isn’t going to stop me from getting into the air. These are the strengths I need as women with a disability, to realise my dream of becoming an aviatrix. Read more →
It’s been several months since I last shared my Private Pilot Licence (PPL) training progress.
Back then I was waiting to start the PPL ground school. I’ve only had a few flights, and it seemed most PPL students combine the flight training in parallel with the ground school. I also saw how long it took people to complete their course, whilst holding down a full-time job or other activities.
#YouHaveControl | My name is Kim and I am a through knee-amputee, and have been now, for just over a year; before which time, I was stuck at home.
Through the closed world of ‘home living’ I was keen to get out and do something to re-ignite my passions and hunger. I searched high and low online for things to do, when I came across The Douglas Bader Foundation (DBF) and Freedom In The Air (FITA).
FITA enables people with disabilities to fly high, and of course Douglas Bader was the first person with disabilities to fly aeroplanes – well actually, Spitfires..one of the most iconic aeroplanes in the world. And a plane that once saved Britain some might argue. Because of DBF and FITA, I was able to ‘Reach for the Skies’ The financial generosity of DBF has enabled me to have my first flying lesson through FITA; Lucky ol’ me!
A month later and I’m on my way to Elstree Airport (EGTR) in North London. That day was sooo exciting! All sorts of thoughts ran through my head, mainly if I was going to get into the plane and be able to control it, would I be sick?, and of course, was it going to be scary?!
#YouHaveControl | Team FITA, & Team Bader, fly from Elstree EGTR to White Waltham EGLM.
Freedom in the Air (FITA) is delighted to announce that our founder, Gautam Lewis, has accepted an invitation from The Douglas Bader Foundation (DBF) to become one of the Charities Ambassadors. Student pilots at FITA try and emulate the unbreakable spirit of Air Ace, Group Captain, Sir Douglas Bader.
To celebrate the work of both not-for-profit organisations, Gautam took David Bickers, CEO of The Douglas Bader Foundation flying. The duo flew from Elstree to White Waltham, once home to Douglas Beach Baron aeroplane. Here is a short film from their flight.
In 2007, Gautam fulfilled his childhood dream and became a qualified pilot, passing all his ground and air examinations in just six months. Still dependent on crutches from his childhood battle with polio, he was inspired to find that the world of aviation had catered for his condition. In October 2007, he founded Freedom in the Air, a flying school for people with a range of disabilities.
Freedom in the Air currently have a training facility in Elstree, Hertfordshire, where they offer disabled people a spectrum of experiences and qualifications – from sample flying lessons to flight instructor courses. They work with Modifly, a purpose built facility in Birchwood, Yorkshire, where aircrafts are modified to cater for the bespoke needs of their pilots. The not-for-profit organisation is committed to empowering disabled people through the freedom that flight offers, benefitting on an emotional, physical and professional level.
Gautam is keen to highlight that Britain has a tradition of inclusive aviation, dating back to Sir Douglas Bader, the double amputee and Royal Air Force fighter pilot who flew a number of aerial victories during the Second World War. ‘Essentially anyone can fly with the right teacher’ Gautam says. ‘It is about challenging stereotypes’. The British Women Pilots’ Association awarded him their Special Recognition Award in 2013, for his work towards making the world of aviation a more democratic place.
Gautam is also committed to the fight against polio, as brand ambassador for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a partnership of UNICEF. He Read more →
#YouHaveControl – With such a fantastic programme of speakers and supporters, The Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) produced an in-depth Diversity-themed Ballantyne lecture.
The day began with an introduction from RAeS President Jenny Body about her own career at Airbus, highlighting the variety of roles that she was involved in, from developing cutting-edge fly-by-wire systems to securing investment for UK aerospace research and design. Jenny also highlighted her passion for the sector and keenness to ensure that it both appeals to and is accessible to underrepresented groups, particularly girls, ethnic minority groups, socially disadvantaged groups and the disabled.
Felicity Feshade, Head of Engineering Systems, Raytheon UK, gave the keynote speech, on her career pathfrom a curious child growing up in a traditional family in Hong Kong (trying to freeze ants to see if they would come back to life!) to her current role.
Flying is often viewed as a particularly elitist part of the sector – with commercial pilot training costs running to six figure sums and the usual image portrayed in the media as white, affluent male. Yet flying is actually much more open that it may appear, with many female captains flying for Read more →
