Utah Non-Profit Helps People Soar To Heights They Didn’t Think Were Possible

A Utah based organization called Project Airtime, takes anyone who wants to go flying, flying. For free. The adaptive paragliding program is designed to assist anyone who may have an injury or disability, and their caregivers, and show them that paragliding is still possible. 

Founder, Chris Santacroce, suffered a life-altering spinal cord injury in the 2000’s and now views life in a different way. He wants others to be able to experience the freedom he experienced with paragliding.

Brenden Doyle, a former US Army soldier, was left paralized from a skydiving accident and he is one of the people who have learned to paraglide on their own with Project Airtime. Seven months after his accident he started flying with Santacroce and his team. In the beginning he flew tandem and then ultimately progressed to sololing.

"When I got injured, a lot of my independence was stripped from me. To be able to do the things I love myself is way better than just being along for the ride," Doyle told Fox News. 

Santacroce has been a full-time paragliding professional for almost 30 years anda Red Bull athlete for 13 years. His spinal cord injury came from doing one of his tricks. 

"I always did this trick where you sort of drag your wingtip on the ground and then straighten up and land," he said. "And one day I just was out flying [and] I got it wrong." 

Santacroce is here to remind people that no matter what, they can still have a “radical experience.” They "just want to have freedom and they want to be able to pursue this stuff and not be at a disadvantage," Santacroce said. 

Santacroce says that some people forget their disability altogether in the air, a liberating feeling for those who are spending most of their time in a wheelchair.

Project Airtime does about 80 flights a year at its location in Utah, 40 of which are for the individuals who sign up and another 40 are for their caregivers, Santacroce said.

FMI: www.projectairtime.org