A 33-year-old woman from Hackney in London has been learning the basics of flying after being awarded a scholarship by the disabled flying charity Aerobility.
Aerobility is a UK Charity which changes lives by providing anyone, with any disability, access to the magic and wonder of flight.
Malky Padwa has early onset generalised dystonia – a condition characterised by involuntary contraction of the muscles, tremors, and other uncontrolled movements. Learning to fly had always been her dream – and she applied for a scholarship after a friend introduced her to the charity.
On being awarded the scholarship, she said: “I feel it is an honour and a privilege to have had this opportunity which I am so grateful for.”
The scholarship has had a hugely positive impact on Malky’s life. She said: “The experience has given me so much more confidence and belief in myself. It has made me rethink my capabilities. If I can fly a plane, what else am I capable of?
“It also gives me a tremendous moral boost when my parents, siblings and close friends see what I CAN achieve and are as proud of me as I am of myself.
“It also helped me to really assess myself to what I can do physically and push to achieve more coordination and controlled movements. That is besides for the amount it has helped me towards my ultimate goal – learning to fly a plane and working towards trying to obtain a PPL.
“The instructors at Aerobility did everything to accommodate and adapt to my needs.”
Mike Miller-Smith, CEO at Aerobility said: “We offer scholarships to ensure anyone can fly with Aerobility, we know how participating in aviation changes lives and we want as many people as possible to experience that.
We can only do this because of the generosity of our donors and supporters from across the world of aviation, so we thank them very much indeed for making this possible for Malky.”
