Able Flight

Changing Lives Though The Challenge and Freedom of Flight

ABLE FLIGHT WILL SOON BE “ABLE FLIGHT AT SIU”

For over two years, Able Flight and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale have been working to transition our program into a fully university-based program at SIU. Within the next 4-6 weeks that effort will have been completed, and with it will come a new website, a new digital online scholarship application process and a new online donation portal.

With all of the new, one thing remains the same, and that’s Able Flight’s mission of providing scholarships for people with physical disabilities to become licensed pilots and to pursue pathways to careers in aviation. In 2024 and 2025, SIU trained ten new Able Flight pilots, and six are currently in training as the “Class of 2026”.

Soon, we will provide the new website address for “Able Flight at SIU” where you’ll find everything you need to know about the program and how to apply for a scholarship. For those who want to support our scholarship fund now, you can continue to donate here for now, and then with the new website will come a new donation page.

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR A LINK TO THE NEW “ABLE FLIGHT AT SIU” WEBSITE COMING SOON!

IT’S ABLE FLIGHT’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR!

On May 6th we celebrated Able Flight’s 20th anniversary of using the power of aviation to make it possible for people with physical challenges to become pilots. With over 100Able Flight's Class of 2025 at Southern Illinois University with their instructors. Able Flight pilots already licensed, and more in training right now, Able Flight is the only aviation nonprofit of its kind in the United States.

Over the last two years we have worked with our friends at Southern Illinois University to make the outstanding aviation program SIU the forever home of Able Flight. And to guarantee the future of Able Flight at SIU, we have created the first ever endowment fund for our program. Our goal of $2 million is ambitious, but when reached, Able Flight at SIU will be fully funded far into the future.

Endowment campaign update:

Thanks to everyone who donated to the special 20th Anniversary Campaign in Support of the Endowment for Able Flight! It was a resounding success with a final total of $95,050! That amount has now been added to the previous donations to the endowment fund for a new total of just under $300,000. If you’d like to support the endowment, just donate here as all new donations are directed to that fund.

Able Flight Announces The Class of 2026

In mid-May, six new Able Flight scholarship recipients will arrive at Southern Illinois University (SIU) to begin their life-changing journey of becoming a pilot. They will travel from Maine, California, Tennessee, Ohio and Colorado, and they will arrive with personal stories of challenge, determination and an eagerness to test themselves through Able Flight’s intensive flight training program.

Weather permitting, within twenty four hours of meeting their classmates and instructors, they will be on their first training flight, one of many to come over the following two months. At the end of flight lessons they’ll go for their check rides.

Receiving flight training scholarships this year are Austin Trozp of Ohio, Aerin Wheeler of California, Methode Nezerwa of Colorado, Ethan March of Maine, Ryan Baker of California and Jeffrey Garrett of Tennessee. The new student pilots have already received their online ground school course courtesy of Sporty’s Pilot Shop, and over the next four months they’ll prepare for their written exams with the assistance of a live remote instructor from SIU. They’ll be required to take and pass their written exam prior to arriving at SIU, and will continually review the ground school materials throughout training.

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