Flyability disability awareness course report

My name is Mark Hastings and I am a pilot with a disability. I have a relatively common condition which is generally referred to as 'lack of fitness'. It means that because I choose to do the bulk of my flying in the hills and mountains of Cumbria, it often takes me far longer than other pilots to reach the appropriate take-off area. While most other local pilots are zipping up the tracks like mountain goats or setting off skywards, I am taking my fifth or sixth stop for breath. By the time I reach the launch point, it takes me another ten minutes to recover sufficiently to even think about unpacking my canopy, let alone fly!

Steve Varden is also a pilot with a disability. He happens to have Cerebral Palsy. Steve usually gets to the launch site quicker than I would, launches as effortlessly as me and, once airborne, will probably fly a lot better than I do! Yet he is not a man apart from the rest of us. He is no different to you or I. He simply has a different set of problems to overcome. At the end of the day, it is not Cerebral Palsy that disables Steve or prevents him from fulfilling his ambitions. It is the assumptions made by other 'more able-bodied' people as to what he is, or is not, capable of doing.

The idea that people with disabilities are not able to think for themselves, or decide what they can or can't do was one of the many important topics of discussion at the recent BHPA Flyability Disability Awareness Course.The course was led by Steve himself, with contributions from Bob Harrison of the BHPA and John Crosbie of the Keswick Calvert Trust (essentially an outdoor activities centre for people of mixed abilities). The Calvert Trust and Flyability have been working together for some time now in getting people of mixed abilities into the air and solving the problems that have arisen as they go.

The weekend started with brief introductions from the Flyability group and course members followed by a quick outline of the intended programme for the weekend. Then it was straight into the first session in which we discussed the perception of the word 'disability'. It quickly became apparent that, without exception, everybody in the room was disabled to some extent.

The group went on to discuss various other aspects of disability, such as differing attitudes, perceptions, misconceptions and the differences between physical disabilities, mental illness and learning difficulties.

These short sessions were followed by a 'working lunch' in which all who attended took part in a disability simulation. Some course members were asked to use wheelchairs, whilst others were given blindfolds to wear. Taken out of context with the weekends event, the resultant scenario as everyone made a dash for the toilets on the opposite side of the farmyard could almost have been regarded as comical. Obviously though, the exercise was intended to show those attending just how awkward life could be. The simplest task, such as going to the toilet, becomes potentially hazardous. Quite apart from making it across the yard without tripping over stones or bumping into parked vehicles, it was necessary to negotiate two doors, two steps and several other people who were experiencing the difficulties arising from using wheelchairs on gravel or from being blind. For those with impaired vision, simple issues like finding the toilet paper began to take on major importance.

The idea of the lunch time session was to open everyone’s eyes (no pun intended) as to just how difficult the simplest tasks can become. They are not insurmountable, but they do require slightly more forethought. To this end the same criteria apply in both the hang gliding and paragliding environment, a fact which was borne out during one of Sundays sessions.

After a quick debrief on the mornings sessions and due to the excellent weather conditions, the decision was made to transfer to Latrigg (a small hill to the north of Keswick - 990ft top to bottom) to look at some practical solutions for getting people of all abilities airborne. At the top of the hill (this time I beat Steve as he was carefully towing his hang glider up the hill behind his quad bike!) a dual hang glider was being rigged by the Northumbrian Club dual syndicate, whilst Mark Sheffield prepared a dual paraglider for flight. A willing volunteer was found for the dual hang glider demonstration. Chris Ghyl is a hang glider pilot who became disabled as a consequence of a hang gliding accident and this resulted in a ‘frozen shoulder’ injury with subsequent restrictive movement. Chris had not flown a hang glider for over two years but duly launched off as passenger on the dual hang glider with the minimum of fuss. In the capable hands of John Wallis they completed a couple beats and two smooth 360’s before sinking out and heading for the bottom landing field and a perfect landing.

Meanwhile, Mark was having no difficulty in finding willing volunteers to sit in the dual paraglider buggy, namely Pam Hughes and Kate Moir. The buggy had been devised in association with the Calvert Trust and had been tried and tested on many previous occasions. There followed two flights and two top landings in the thermic conditions. Take offs and landings were straightforward, with some ground crew required for both operations. The buggy seemed to attract much attention from all on the hill, with an impromptu discussion group forming to discuss possible improvements to the existing design.

Last but not least we were all treated to a demonstration of Steve's infamous wheeled launch technique. Basically this consisted of Steve clipping himself into his glider and getting zipped up in the prone flight position, whilst Chris Roberts supported the rear of the keel at shoulder level. At the given well rehersed command and with the aid of a set of wheels mounted on the bottom bar, Chris pushed him down the hill until Steve had the required airspeed necessary to take off. Steve then proceeded to give us a half hour flying demonstration in the ‘bubbly’ flying conditions, topped off with a neat bottom landing on the wheels. After that it was time for all and sundry to air their own canopies for the rest of the evening, before going off into Keswick for a thoroughly enjoyable meal and social evening, then retiring ready for the next days events.

Dawn on Sunday saw three particularly stupid pilots (1 speak from personal experience!) staggering up Jenkin Hill at seven o'clock for what turned out to be a top to bottom flight, landing back at Eagle Quests' farm. A few cups of coffee later and the other participants had turned up ready for the days sessions.

A number of important topics were discussed during the morning session, covering items such as the media’s perceptions of people with disabilities, simple adaptations to available equipment, returning to flying after a disabling accident and the way forward for Flyability. During the session on the media, Steve showed us two very pertinent newspaper articles that featured himself. One that was written ten years ago about a sponsored cycle expedition from London to Warsaw and another more recent article on Steve’s Flyability activities. I do not think that I could even begin to adequately describe how bad the first article was, save to say that it rendered all who were there temporarily speechless. The second was far more positive, concentrating on his abilities, interests and achievements. This served as a good illustration of the changing attitudes towards people with disabilities over recent times.

We were also treated to a quick demonstration of some 'garden shed' modifications by the Calvert Trust. One of the examples shown was a simple adaptation to climbing gear combined with a paragliding harness, enabling a person who had lost the use of their lower body to climb using specially adapted prussock loops.

The afternoon saw the group departing for an exhibition of paraglider tow launching techniques at the nearby Great Orton Airfield. The weather was somewhat less forgiving than it had been on Saturday, which led to a particularly impressive display of the technique followed by just as impressive a demonstration of how to land whilst into wind and running backwards! At this point, most of those who had assembled for the session politely declined to 'have a go' for fear of incurring a disability themselves, a point that brings us neatly back to reality.

The reality of your sport, whether it be hang gliding or paragliding, is that sadly it results in a relatively large number of serious, debilitating injuries. Some of those injured will almost certainly wish to get back in the air, regardless of the severity of the problems or obstacles that may arise. When that happens (and we must all accept that it is a possibility) who will be there to help you? Should you expect anyone to be there to help? We must at all times remember our own vulnerability. Should the worst ever happen, we would no doubt expect the necessary help to be on hand in order to cope with the fresh challenges resulting from our newly owned disabilities. So ask yourself a simple question: “What is it that's stopping you, the average pilot, from putting yourself out just a little by trying to find ways of giving the same assistance to someone who needs it now?” Flyability is the opportunity for all of us to do just that. Don't miss the chance.

Flyability is about awareness, open-mindedness and problem solving in a team environment. We have the choice as individuals to become an integral part of that team. I'd like finish this article with an excerpt from the second of the two newspaper articles referred to earlier, it reads as follows:

Soaring effortlessly on spiralling thermals thousands of feet above the Lakeland hills, hang glider pilot Steve Varden thrills to the reality that he has total freedom and control.

Steve comments:

Once I am in the air I am on a par with everyone else, it is down to my ability as a pilot. If you want to fly with me you have no choice but to take me seriously - your life may depend on it!

Surely, every one of us has the right to experience that sense of freedom and control. It is up to us to ensure that nobody, no matter what their range of abilities, is left at the bottom of the hill.

Mark Hastings