Pilots show anybody’s able

By PTE John Wellfare

Timothy Jones, Bruno DeSimone, Suzi Duncan and Phillip Sleep meet the Roulettes at the Temora Flying Day.

Photo by Steve Shervington.

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* CAF presented qualification certificates to three disabled pilots at the Temora Flying Day.

CAF Air Marshal Angus Houston has presented pilot qualification certificates to three recently trained, disabled pilots at the Temora Flying Day on May 1.

The new pilots, Bruno DeSimone, Timothy Jones and Phillip Sleep, learnt to fly with the help of charity Wheelies with Wings and flew into the Temora airfield with the organisation’s founder, Suzi Duncan.

Ms Duncan had overcome childhood polio to learn to fly and invented a hand control that negates the need for foot pedals to control an aircraft.

Speaking at the presentation, AIRMSHL Houston said the Wheelies with Wings pilots had accomplished a lot and “joined a special group of people” by becoming qualified pilots.

“Pioneers such as Suzi Duncan have set the standard and clearly removed the boundaries that may have been daunting before,” he said to the new pilots. “You are
at the threshold of a new freedom.

“Along the way you have discovered that you can meet the challenges set before you and that there is always a way to move ahead.”

It costs Wheelies with Wings $15,000 to teach a student to fly. For more information about the charity go to www.wheelieswithwings.com.au.

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