Last week some of our sponsors had the opportunity to visit Popham Airfield to see how their funding is helping one of our beneficiaries – Flying for Freedom.  It was a fabulous chance to watch the flyers in action and to chat with those who benefit directly from the programme.  Thank you to Collins Aerospace who sent a team on the day (main image) and to Flying for Freedom for looking after everyone so well.

Flying for Freedom aids Wounded Injured and Sick (WIS) recovery through microlight flying training. Microlight, open cockpit weight-shift aircraft are one of the easiest and cheapest ways to fly. They also enable WIS personnel to experience the freedom of flying at its most basic and closest to nature; the experience for the trainees has been overwhelmingly positive.

FFF has around 25 team members and four aircraft which are positioned in three bases across England. It’s vision is to become a world class microlight flying WIS recovery organisation. There are no special dispensations made for disabled pilots. The Civil Aviation
Authority syllabus and standards they follow are exactly those applied to the able bodied: Through flight training they can rebuild the self-esteem and self-worth that is lost following a life-changing incident, building a positive self-image for the future.