Will Use Specially-Adapted LSA For Flight Training

Able Flight and Purdue University's Department of Aviation Technology have gotten together to offer a joint flight training project for 2010 that combines the training experience of a major university flight school and the unique mission of an aviation nonprofit for people with physical disabilities. During the summer, between two and four Able Flight Scholarship recipients will live in university housing and be trained by university instructors in an intensive teaching environment as they earn their Sport Pilot certificate in a month.

Able Flight will select scholarship winners from its pool of candidates, with priority given to current or incoming Purdue students and other Indiana residents with physical disabilities.  Current students will have the opportunity to earn course credit for the groundschool portion of their training, and other student pilots may qualify for continuing education credits.

The nonprofit will provide at least one specially-adapted Light Sport Airplane (LSA) for the training project, and will provide transitional training for university instructors in the LSA. The project also provides Purdue with the opportunity to evaluate future use of LSAs for primary training.

"The Aviation Technology program at Purdue is devoted to access to aviation", said Dr. Brent Bowen, department head of the program. "We see the collaboration with Able Flight as a unique opportunity for a collegiate aviation program to extend the freedom of flight to individuals that might not be aware they can fly.  Purdue's aviation program is world-class and we need the best and brightest individuals.  Physical barriers should not impede the opportunity to fly and we want all people to know they can fly at Purdue. Purdue is committed to pre-eminent leadership in aviation technology and Able Flight will bring to us a new cadre of people who otherwise might not consider careers in aviation."
 
Able Flight's Charles Stites said, "We're excited to work with Purdue to create this opportunity for our scholarship winners. Purdue's Department of Aviation Technology is not only one of the storied aviation programs in the country, it is an innovative leader in the training of pilots and aeronautical engineers. During their time there, our student pilots will be immersed in flying in a demanding but supportive setting, and have the chance to explore opportunities for future undergraduate and graduate degrees in aviation."

The joint flight training program will begin in either late May or early June of 2010.

FMI: www.ableflight.org.