Able Flight

Changing Lives Though The Challenge and Freedom of Flight

2021 Training Underway

Able Flight’s “Class of 2021” at Purdue with their instructors

After a year of delay caused by the pandemic, five students of the Able Flight “Class of 2021” arrived at Purdue University on May 22, and by the next day, most were in the air for their first lesson.

Attending training at Purdue are David Snypes, Jr, Peyton Wolter, Sheila Xu, T’angelo Magee, and Michael Price. Each student is paired with an instructor dedicated to them, and instructors for 2021 include Zach Hill (Lead Instructor), Nicolas Kass, Colleen Finnell, Steven Stoyko and Aaron Wall. Also assisting is Lucero Duran who has been a key volunteer instructor for more than five years.

Shortly after meeting their instructors, the new student pilots attended orientation, covering topics such as safety practices, communications, aircraft fueling, and for those who use wheelchairs, how to transfer from chair to plane.

Strong health safety protocols are being adhered to both at the airport and in the dorm housing the students, and almost all students and instructors have been fully vaccinated.

By the end of their first ten days, as a group this year’s class had already logged over 71 hours in the air, and as least as many hours of ground instruction, and they are well on their way to first solos.

ANNOUNCING THE ABLE FLIGHT CLASS OF 2020

Ten people from throughout the country have been selected as recipients of an Able Flight Scholarship for 2020. Eight will train at Able Flight’s program at Purdue University beginning in May, one will earn a CFI certificate with his Career Training Scholarship, and one will become Able Flight’s first student to attend training late in 2020 at the Aerospace Center For Excellence in Lakeland, Florida.

Of the ten scholarship recipients, six use wheelchairs due to paralysis, one is deaf, one has a paralyzed arm, and two are amputees. Four are veterans; with one being wounded in combat and three becoming disabled due to injuries.

The members of the Able Flight “Class of 2020” are:

Joshua Martin of Texas. Joshua is a graduate of West Point who trained and served as a Special Operations helicopter pilot before losing his lower left leg due to a motor vehicle accident in 2018. With his scholarship, Joshua will return to flying by earning his fixed-wing pilot certificate. Joshua will train at Purdue University.

 

 

 

Chris Murad

Chris Murad of Georgia. Chris recently graduated from Georgia Tech with an aerospace degree. He became paralyzed in 2016 when shot during a robbery as he was leaving work. Chris will train at Purdue University.

 

 

 

 

Peyton Wolter of Wisconsin. Peyton grew up active in a variety of outdoor sports and became paralyzed in late 2017 as a result of an injury sustained in a boating accident. Peyton will train at Purdue University.

 

 

 

 

Michael Price of North Dakota. Michael is a graduate of Penn Foster University in Fargo, ND, and had his first flight as part of an introductory program in 1997. That same day he became paralyzed due to injuries from a car accident. Michael will train at Purdue University.

 

 

 

 

Jason Daugherty of Georgia. Jason was first exposed to flying in the fifth grade through a course taught by a teacher who was a licensed pilot. His plans to become a pilot were halted in 2003 when he became paralyzed due to a car accident. Jason will train at Purdue University.

 

 

 

 

 

Austin “Chance” Field of Texas. Chance Field spent several summers working around planes at an FBO operated by his aunt and uncle before serving in the Navy. In 2006 he was paralyzed due to injuries from a motor vehicle accident. Austin will train at the Aerospace Center For Excellence in Lakeland, Florida.

 

 

 

Sheila Zhi Xu of Nevada. Sheila is a graduate of MIT and has been both a participant in the Fulbright Scholarship Program and an intern at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Shelia was born with profound hearing loss in both ears, and will train at Purdue University.

 

 

 

T’angelo Magee of Pennsylvania. T’angelo is a veteran of the U.S. Army with multiple combat deployments who became paralyzed due to injuries from a motorcycle accident. In 2019, he participated in the Able Flight program at Purdue where he both soloed and passed his written exam before an illness forced him to cut short his training. T’angelo will train at Purdue University.

 

 

 

 

David Snypes, Jr. of New York. David is a veteran of the U.S. Army having served from 2009 to 2016, including tours in Afghanistan. In 2016, he lost the use of his left arm due to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. David will train at Purdue University.

 

 

 

 

Steven Curry of Virginia. Steven served in the U.S. Army in both Afghanistan and Iraq. His plans to secure a Warrant Officer training slot to become a helicopter pilot ended when injuries from an IED required the amputation of his left leg below the knee. Steven with train at Aviation Adventures in Virginia.

 

WE HAVE NEW PILOTS! CLASS OF 2019

Lt. Colonel Daniel Gade U.S. Army-retired

After seven weeks of intensive flight training and ground school, seven 2019 Able Flight scholarship recipients are now licensed pilots. Six trained at Purdue University and one at The Ohio State University, and they will be honored at Able Flight’s annual Wings Pinning Ceremony at EAA AirVenture 2019.

Our Class of 2019 includes Lt. Colonel Daniel Gade (U.S. Army-retired) who was wounded in combat in Iraq, Leslie Irby of Georgia who was paralyzed in an auto accident, Joey Moncalieri (U.S Coast Guard) who was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, Samuel Mahoney of Wisconsin who was paralyzed due to a fall, Anthony Radetic (U.S. Army-retired) who was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, Will Bucher of North Carolina who was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, and Steven Martinez (U.S. Marines-retired) who was injured in a motor vehicle accident.

Leslie Irby

Thanks to the instructors at Purdue and OSU, the students logged over 700 total hours of instruction, including 337 hours of flight instruction and more than 400 hours of individual ground training. And that doesn’t even include a daily ground school class for the first month.

Ten recipients were selected to train in 2019. In addition to the seven who completed training, one student’s training was delayed due to a medical condition, one withdrew, and one will require different adapted controls to complete training.

The 2019 instructors at OSU were Kate Meelhuysen and Joe Schwerdtfeger, and at Purdue they were Rachel Jackson, Aaron Ashby, Travis Gowan, Erik Levin, Zach Hill and Chief Flight Instructor, Lucero Duran. The ground school instructor at Purdue was Professor Bernie Wulle.

Able Flight would like to thank our sponsors who make this program possible, including ForeFlight, Tempest Plus, Perrone Aerospace, Shell Aviation, Embraer, Lockheed Martin, Signature Flight Support, Alerion, Muncie Aviation and Flexjet.