Image: Aerobility

UK charity Aerobility – which changes lives by providing anyone, with any disability, with access to flight – has opened applications for flying scholarships for 2023.

The 2023 scholarship application window is now open for Aerobility’s five-hour flying scholarships which give people with disabilities a chance to fly. The window opened on 28th April and will remain open for six weeks until 9th June.

Aerobility scholarships are grants that enable anyone with any disability to start to learn to fly, irrespective of their background. This is one of the ways the charity removes the financial as well as the physical barriers to accessing aviation.

One of Aerobility’s scholars from 2022 was Andy Braybrook, from Grantham, who has been paralysed since a motorcycle accident six years ago.

Scholarship

Andy said: “The scholarship has given me something to study toward and look forward to each week and proven that my fear of not being able to fly the plane was completely unnecessary.

“As soon as I saw the scholarship advertised, I knew that a door was now open to me which would not have been, had I not been disabled and not known about Aerobility.”

Another previous scholar was disabled British Army veteran Dave Evans from Newport, Gwent. Dave said his scholarship experience left him with feelings of “improved self confidence” and an “improvement in mental health.”

Mike Miller-Smith, CEO at Aerobility, said: “We offer scholarships to allow anyone, with any disability, to experience the magic of flight. We know first hand how participating in aviation changes lives and we want as many people as possible to experience that.

“This is only possible because of the generosity of our donors and supporters so we thank them very much indeed.”

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