Having recently been approved to fly the C152 with the Union hand control – it was decided to do a plane trip to visit Chris Stringer who is the Chief flying instructor at Leeds Sherburn flying club. Chris was the original person who certified the Union for the C172. He was really helpful and supportive when we applied for the approval for the C152. So, it seemed only the right thing to do to fly the first flight in C152 to visit Chris. This is a time lapse footage.

After an epic journey around the UK to raise awareness about aviation for people with disabilities and rudder hand controls, we head for journey’s end. Final day of the Freedom Flight – flying mostly in IMC conditions.

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.

This video is from day 3 of the Freedom flight tour of UK – Blackpool to Lands End. You may watch the previous days by clicking the following links Day 1 – Cranfield – Edinburgh and Day2 sector 1 – Edinburgh to Islay and Day 2 sector 2 – Islay to Blackpool.

Freedom in the Air’s founder Gautam Lewis has challenged himself to fly around Great Britain to raise awareness about the new ‘Freedom Control’ which is almost ready for launch. This tour planted the seeds around the UK letting flying schools know about the new controls. This video is from day 2, sector 2 – Islay to Blackpool. You may watch the previous days by clicking the following links Day 1 – Cranfield – Edinburgh and Day2 sector 1 – Edinburgh to Islay.

Londoner Gautam Lewis challenged himself to complete a 2,000 mile flight around Britain to raise awareness about Feeedom in the Air that teaches people with disabilities to fly.

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.

A disabled pilot challenged himself to complete a 2,000 mile flight around Britain to raise awareness about a not-for-profit organisation that teaches people with disabilities to fly. Londoner Gautam Lewis, who is reliant on crutches after contracting polio as a three-year-old in India, departed from the Freedom in the Air (FITA) base at Cranfield Airport on 17th August 2011

His five-day Freedom Flight Tour called at various airports in England, Wales and Scotland. Destinations on the tour included Blackpool, Carlisle, Islay, Edinburgh, Lands End before touching back down at Cranfield.

He spent up to four hours a day in the cockpit of his Cessna 172 plane, using Union Aviation hand controls. The tour is to promote the newly designed ‘freedom control‘ developed in partnership with Cranfield University school of Aerospace Engineering. The new ‘freedom control’ will Read more →