Able Flight

Changing Lives Though The Challenge and Freedom of Flight

ABLE FLIGHT WINGS CEREMONY JULY 21ST AT AIRVENTURE!

Ronny Ahmed, who earned his wings in 2025, performs a preflight inspection under the watchful eye of instructor David Nelson.

Everyone attending EAA AirVenture is invited to join us to celebrate our newest pilots when they receive their pilot wings on Tuesday, July 21st at 10 AM at Theater In The Woods. To make it even more special, 2026 marks Able Flight’s 20th anniversary!

Those who have been to an Able Flight Wings Pinning Ceremony in the past have described it as “the best thing I did at AirVenture” and “the most touching event you can imagine” as people who face physical challenges that may have them in a wheelchair, or using a prosthetic leg, are honored as a newly-licensed pilot. This year’s pilots join over 100 Able Flight pilots who have experienced this unique moment.

For almost two months the Able Flight “Class of 2026” has been at our demanding and intensive training program at Southern Illinois University. They have flown every day the weather allows, often twice a day in the sometimes extreme heat of this summer. By the time they are on stage the morning of July 21st in Oshkosh, they each will have logged approximately 45 hours, and that followed months of ground school.

Thanks to the generous support of donors and sponsors, Able Flight at SIU provides full-ride scholarships in the only program of its kind in the United States. Be there as family, friends, sponsors and special guests honor the Class of 2026 as they receive their wings.

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.