Route: Lands End – Plymouth – Exeter – BIA NDB – CPT DME – Cranfield.

day 1 Cranfield to Edinburgh | day 2 – sector 1 Edinburgh to Islay
day 2 – sector 2 Islay to Blackpool | Day 3 – Blackpool to Lands End

FITA is committed to opening horizons for people with disabilities so that they can fly higher socially, physically and professionally.

Freedom tour of Britian is to raise awareness about the new “Freedom control” that will enable those with lower linb disabilites to fly aeroplanes without the need for their feet. The hand controls have been developed in partnership with Cranfield University.

This video is from day two of four, Sector one – Edinburgh to Islay in Scotland. To watch the film from day one, please follow this link:

FITA is committed to opening horizons for people with disabilities so that they can fly higher socially, physically and professionally.  Flying aeroplanes makes you feel alive and gives you a sense of freedom, of being liberated from disability with nothing to hold you back.

Within Britain there are over 6 million full time carers, but the work of this forgotten army goes unpaid. Yasmin has been dedicated to gifting many lives with unconditional love and support. Looking after her stepdaughter who suffers from muscular dystrophy took up a lot of time and energy, but Yasmin’s support and commitment to care for those less fortunate did not stop there. In search for other children who have disabilities, with a vision to set up a centre which provides respite care. Yasmin launched Friends of Bright Eyes as a voluntary charity. With minimal funds it was very difficult to keep the charity operating. A wife, mother and full time carer, Yasmin never looked back, always went that extra mile to help and 14 years later the charity which Yasmin started at home, now accommodates for over 50 children a week.

The hugely popular Freedom Wings days are designed to give youngsters with disabilities what is very often their first experience of flight in a light aircraft. Just to see the expressions on the children’s faces is evidence enough of the enjoyment and satisfaction they get from this new experience and their pleasure also guarantees a happy day for the whole family. We try, when possible, to ensure that brothers and sisters and parents get the opportunity to fly together at these events when their involvement is instrumental in siblings also having this exciting opportunity, Freedom is definitely “key”.

Variety Club the children’s charity in association with Freedom in the Air and Cranfield Flying School this week selected  the first young person with a disability  for a unique scholarship that will allow a young person to achieve a National private pilots licence (NPPL) over the summer holidays.

Shelbi Grist (17) suffers from McCune Albright Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder as well as Polistic Fibres Displacia, a rare bone disease and Focal Nodular Hyperplacia, a liver complaint.  Even though Shelbi has a rafter of disabilities she has never let this stop her fulfilling her dreams and is currently activity involved in sport having received her National Diploma of Sport and is in a national wheelchair basket ball team while in full time education studying Sports Therapy. Based in Portsmouth, Shelbi travels all over the UK to play basket ball and will be attending her pilot training twice a week for the next 10 weeks.

Based in Cranfield Airport near Milton Keynes, the scholarship was open to all young people between the ages for 17 – 19 with the primary aim to simply enable disabled young people the opportunity to realise their full potential through the pleasure and thrill of flying. After many weeks of searching for the right candidate Shelbi Grist was selected.

Shelbi will complete over 40 hours of dual and solo flying as well as intensive exams to achieve her National Private Pilot’s Licence which will give her full command of an aeroplane and in doing so change her life.

The programme has been funded by Freedom in the Air, Cranfield Flying School, Pooleys Flight Equipment and the De Vere Venues, part of the De Vere Group/MWB who have to date raised over £1.3m on behalf of the Variety Club through staff fundraising and corporate events.

Keith Andrews Chairman of Variety At Work commented “I am so proud to be able to offer this unique opportunity to such a fantastic candidate. I would like to thank Gautam Lewis at Freedom in The Air and all the pilots at Cranfield for making this a reality for Shelbi. Huge thanks to Freedom in the Air, Cranfield Flying School and De Vere Venues for funding this scheme. We wish Shelbi good luck.”

FITA founder Gautam Lewis, who uses crutches after contracting polio as a child in India, wants to show people disability is not a barrier to achievement. As an orphan growing up in the care of Mother Teresa, he believes that his calling in life is to help others less fortunate and celebrate in the spirit that the sky’s the limit.

He said: “I thought maybe I should do something positive about supporting disabled people, help them learn new skills and push them to a new level of confidence so that they can have opportunities.

“It’s trying to show what we can do regardless of disability.”

Together we intend to show that anyone can reach for the skies, and achieve virtually anything, sometimes with only the very smallest amount of support.

On my way back to Heathrow I somehow couldn’t believe that all of this really happened. But it did, and I am extremely happy how everything turned out. Far beyond my expectations! It’s good to know there are people out there who make you feel confident and make things possible. Too many people in aviation just know standard procedures. Sometimes even people who should know better!

I already recommended your flight school to two other people. They might be interested in a FAA PPL conversion as well, sometime this or next year.

David is a great instructor. I went flying with some colleagues yesterday. I did the smoothest landing ever by just following his advise (be more gentle on the controls). Too many young flight instructors teach pilots to fly small airplanes “by the numbers”, which is wrong, I believe. I would definetly like to come back for some more training.