Paraplegic Pilot Completes Solo Flight Around the World

posted on Sep 20 by Amanda in the Disability News, Spinal Cord Injury, Wheelchair Sports category

Back in May, we told you about paraplegic pilot, David Sykes, taking off from England on his solo flight to Australia (Paraplegic Pilot Flies Solo from the UK to Australia). Recently, Sykes completed that charity solo flight that took him across the globe in a microlight aircraft. Sykes’ solo flight was planned to coincide with the 80th anniversary of Amy Johnson’s completion of the first female solo flight to Australia. With this flight challenge, Sykes also raised money for a charity in his local area, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which provides air ambulance service for over 5 million people in Yorkshire, England.

The motorcycle accident that left Dave Sykes paralyzed in 1993.

The British pilot, who lost the use of his legs in a motorcycle accident in 1993, left York, England in late April 2011 to fly around the globe and land in Sydney, Australia four months later. Sykes’ website chronicled his amazing journey, which took him over 17 countries. He made stops in order to refuel his plane; some stops were overnight, allowing Sykes to rest up for the next leg of the trip.

Sykes also had to make special conversions to his light aircraft. Even though his mircolight aircraft conformed to stringent British air safety requirements, as well as including mobility equipment for the pilot, he needed special permissions to land and fly through several countries. Sykes managed his courageous flight with the support of friends and individuals around the world, who followed his progress using satellites and contact with air traffic control centers.

This flight has been the first time a paraplegic pilot has flown across the globe from the UK to Australia, and it stands as proof that individuals with physical disabilities can achieve great things. Not only did Sykes overcome his own physical challenges in order to complete the flight, but he also overcame the physical challenges presented by the flight itself, enduring extreme temperatures and weather conditions.

Photo snapped by Dave Sykes while flying above Sydney harbor.

Sykes underwent many trials during the 11,600 mile glove-spanning flight, including torrential rain, high winds, sandstorms, lightning, and extreme temperatures. Because he was flying over so many different kinds of terrain, from baking deserts to tropical forests, Sykes faced extreme weather challenges. High winds pushed his plane off the runway in Timor Kupang, causing a wheel to be ripped off his aircraft; sandstorms in Saudi Arabia reduced his visibility to zero; heavy rains caused the cockpit to fill up with water in Burma; high winds in Pakistan also blew him off into a ditch, requiring a rescue from 20 airport staff. At one point, Sykes even broke his wrist, but the courageous pilot didn’t let that stop him.

With his journey complete, Sykes hopes that his achievement proves that individuals with physical disabilities can overcome any challenge to achieve their goals.

Previous AMS Blog post:
http://blog.amsvans.com/6780-paraplegic-pilot-flies-solo-from-the-uk-to-australia

Sources:
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9218367.Celebrations_as_paraplegic_pilot_completes_11_600_mile_challenge/
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/09/01/dave-sykes-microlight-pil_n_944467.html
http://www.soloflightglobal.com/
http://www.yorkshireairambulance.org.uk/