Welcome to The Arthritic Aviator

"To reach for the sky..." A phrase immortalised as the title of the 1956 film charting the life of RAF pilot Sir Douglas Bader, an extraordinary man who defied the odds and returned to active duty as a pilot despite losing both legs in a flying accident. But not just the title of a film, the phrase has become a metaphor used everyday to inspire others to achieve their goals despite their limitations.

Of course, being a vertically challenged 4' 10", the top shelf of Waitrose is about as high as I can reach, but thanks to Flying Scholarships for the Disabled (FSD), not only am I about to metaphorically reach far beyond any supermarket shelves, I'm actually going to reach for the sky.  In fact not just reach for it, but touch it and savour it, because I'm about to learn to fly!

On 25th June, I and one other lucky scholar will be heading off to Purdue University, Indiana, USA for a 6 week intensive flying course with the aim of achieving a solo flight and then, hopefully, on to gaining our Private Pilot's Licence.

Yes, that's right, I'm going to be a pilot (Just call me Captain Saxon-Jones!) and I'm going to use this blog to share this extraordinary and life changing experience with you. While I hope this blog will chart my progress through the scholarship, I will also try my best to entertain you, inform you and who knows, I may even attempt occasional mild humour.

So, remove chocks, strap in and enjoy the ride.......I know I will!