Overcoming a devastating spinal cord injury from an accident 10 years ago, Justin Falls, 28, a pharmacist at Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, North Carolina, passed his sport pilot check ride after completing his training at the Purdue University Airport.
People with disabilities are able to obtain flight training through scholarships from Able Flight, a North Carolina-based nonprofit organization which conducts the training at Purdue every year from May to July.
“Flying gives me a feeling of freedom,” Falls said. “I no longer feel paralyzed while in the air. I might not be able to walk or run, but I can fly.”