CHARITY OFFERS LUKE THE CHANCE TO FLY HIGH
A FORMER airman from Uxbridge is looking forward to learning to fly for himself after being awarded a Royal International Air Tattoo Flying Scholarship for the Disabled.
Luke Delahunty, 36, who's been in a wheelchair since a road traffic accident 12 years ago, has just completed the tough selection process at RAF Cranwell, and was delighted to hear he's been awarded a full scholarship.
That means that Luke will be flying out to South Africa at the end of June for six weeks of training. He says: "It would be fantastic to achieve a private pilot's licence (PPL), but that's apparently very difficult to do in the time available, so I'm looking to get as much flying experience as I can and hopefully pass the seven exams you have to do during the course. All of this should stand me in good stead to carry on my PPL training when I get back to the UK, if needed."
Luke was eligible for the scholarship, funded by the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, as a former serving member of the RAF. He explains: "I joined the RAF in March 1990 and spent three years at RAF Uxbridge serving on the Queen's Colour Squadron. I also served three years in Germany at RAF Laarbruch on No.1 Sqn and saw service in Northern Ireland and in the Balkans as part of the UN Rapid Reaction Force.
"I was on my way to work, whilst serving in the RAF Regiment, when I had the accident. It left me paralysed from the sixth thoracic vertebra, so I've no feeling or movement below the middle of my chest."
The Flying Scholarships for the Disabled charity was inaugurated 25 years ago to perpetuate the indomitable spirit of air ace Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, a former President of the Air Tattoo who lost both legs in an accident yet resumed his flying career with the RAF. Over 300 disabled people have participated in the scholarship scheme to date.
Luke says: "I heard about FSD through one of last year's scholars and I immediately went to the website to ask for an application. As a teenager I was in the Air Training Corps and gained some experience of flying, and during my time in the RAF I flew in various aircraft on operations and exercises but not as a pilot.
"I was extremely pleased to be told I'd made it through to the final selection process and as the time approached, increasingly nervous about it. As well as medical examinations, a hearing test, eye exams and a written aptitude test there was an informal interview with three people and then a formal interview in front of the FSD board. All in all, it was quite a nerve-wracking experience but very enjoyable at the same time."
Luke continues: "I would like to add my heartfelt thanks to Flying Scholarships for the Disabled and to the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust for this amazing opportunity. It is extremely gratifying to know that these organisations exist to help people such as myself."
Tim Prince, Chief Executive of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises, who helped inaugurate the scheme in 1983, said: "These scholarships aim to give disabled people the opportunity to realise their full potential through flying. We congratulate Luke on his success to date and have every confidence that he'll rise to the challenge of his training in South Africa."