The glider is almost ready

It has been one year since my last publication. In the meantime the club got the funding for the conversion and in the second week of march the conversion started.

Mr. Max Lux who was himself a pilot and stopped flying after a serious accident decided to donate €3000.- for the conversion so that in the future handicapped pilots could take part in the sport of sailplane flying.

The Flugsportrings Kraichgau e.V. Sinsheim decided to buy the conversion kit for the ASK 21 from Alexander Schleicher and do the conversion at its own workshop.

In the last year I attended theory classes and flew in several occasions but without side rudder control. These flights helped me to gain experience with the difficult procedure of getting into the airplane and putting on the parachute.

I must also admit that all the flights I did last year helped me to overcome the fear of flying a glider. At the beginning it was quite difficult to get used to the quite violent winch start. But I have now a much better understanding of the forces and the vertigo involved. Many people have problems with vertigo which is caused by the tight circles that are flown in thermals to gain height. Luckily I have no much problem with that but I always had some fear that the landings which could be quite hard could injure my back because of my bridle bones. Although this is a risk that will always be there I now know that a normal landing should not cause an injury. Still I will need to always take special care while landing in order to avoid an extremely hard landing. One of the measures I will take is to avoid days with strong windy conditions which could further increase the probability of an hard landing.

As I already wrote in the second week the conversion of the ASK 21 started. The entire conversion which is now almost finished has been done by the club member Benjamin Bauer. I feel a lot of gratitude towards Benjamin. He is the club and club board member which always supported my endeavor. He has shown an incredible amount of dedication towards this project. I admire his will and determination to help me. It is always special when people make an effort to fulfill their dreams but for me it has a much higher virtue to show this commitment to help others.

Benny at work:

The following pictures show some of the conversion steps in detail:

What is next?

Now that I have the medical allowance the next step is to convert a glider so that I can fly it. Since I am only 1.11m tall I can not reach the pedals which are used to control the rudder attached to the vertical stabilizer (fin). This rudder is used to control the yaw movement of the plane. The glider to be modified is an ASK-21. It will be converted so that the fin rudder can be operated by my left hand. Another modification is that the speed brakes need the capability to be fixed at different positions so that I can operate the rudder and at the same time the speed brakes keep active at the selected position.

So that I can fly like any other member of the local club without any additional costs, we are trying to get external funding. Currently we have entered applications to several organizations who could fund the needed conversion costs of around €8,000.-

In case we are not successful with this approach the club is thinking about the possibility to get a sponsor to help finance the conversion.

If you are interested in sponsoring please contact me via hgaedke@googlemail.com. You can place the logo of your company at the tail of one the planes.

I also need some adaptations to the seating. For this we are considering a seat elevation build of fiber glass that is placed over the normal seat so that I have an optimal position to reach the instruments and to have optimal visibility outside.

As you can read there is still a lot to be done until I can start my regular flight training. In the meantime I am participating at the theory classes at the club. The disciplines that are thought and that are part of the examinations to get the glider pilot license are: Meteorology, aviation law, human capabilities, navigation, behavior in special circumstances, aerodynamics/aviation technology and air traffic communications.

What has happened up to now...

My relation towards aviation has been very intense and special all my life. During my childhood I read all sort of literature related to aviation. And whenever I was again confined to my bed because of a new fracture my aviation magazines were my constant companions. 

After some time I had to acknowledge that it would be impossible to fulfill my dream of becoming a pilot, because I have osteogenisis imperfecta (brittle bone disease). Nevertheless my passion towards aviation has accompanied me all my life. In 2000 I left Mexico, the country where I was born, to start a new life in Germany with my wife Veronica and my daughter Frida.

In order to get some exercise I made a tour in the surroundings of my home at the end of 2010. There I passed next to the airfield located in the little town where I live. I started a conversation with one of the members of the flight club. He told me he knew about some pilots in Germany who also used a wheelchair. He also told me that he had heard that an organization of handicapped pilots existed in Germany. 

I immediately started to search for this organization and finally was able to locate one of its members. He told me that the biggest obstacle for somebody with an handicapped was the so called “medical”. The medical is handed out by a flight surgeon in order to certify that the person is physically and mentally able to fly an airplane. I was especially interested in flying a glider. First of all because I consider it a fascinating form of flying, and also because it is easier to get into the cockpit when you use a wheelchair. This person who also used a wheelchair recommended a flight surgeon who he thought would be ideal for my case.

Sadly this doctor gave me a negative response when he found out that I had OI. He told me very clearly that he would not give me the medical certification. You can imagine how I felt after I got this news. I was being confronted with the fact that all handicapped pilots had some sort of paraplegia and that my case was very different. Still I decided to continue to pursue my dream, although I knew it would not be easy to find a flight surgeon who would certify me.

My next step was to try to contact as many people as possible who could be helpful. With the help of Ute Wallentin (president of the European OI association) I was able to contact another person with OI in the USA who had gotten the medical certification. This person had not gotten the pilot license for personal reasons, still it was a big motivational boost for my aspirations. Although the medical requirements are less strict in the USA then in Europe it helped me to continue on my quest.

After some time I got an Email in response to all those I had written in the past. It was a flight surgeon who told me that I should contact Dr. Quast in Stuttgart. He is the head of the Aeromedical Center located there and a specialist for difficult cases. 

The first appointment I had with Dr. Quast was very positive. Still he told me that he would need a certification that I was physically able to operate a glider. For this I did a test flight and different tests in gliders with a certified instructor. I was happy to get the certification as I was totally able to control and operate the glider. After I had gotten this I went back to the Aeromedical Center and underwent a long series of examinations. My nervous system, my reflexes and my organs were checked. At the end of this I was extremely happy when Dr. Quast told me that he would give me the medical certification to fly gliders. The only restriction was that the glider had to be adapted in a way that I could control the tail rudder and the speed brakes with my hands. 

After all those years of dreaming I had now surmounted the biggest obstacle in my quest to become a pilot. Now I am in the middle of the theoretical training and hopefully my practical training will start in the summer of 2011. It is still a long way to get the license, but I am confident that soon I might be telling you about my first solo flight and then my successful results in all the examinations that are awaiting me.   
Most importantly I want to enjoy the journey towards my goal.

Summary of last 9 months

In order to be able to use this blog also as a diary of my flying activities, I would like to add here a short summary of the last 9 months. So hopefully one day the entire story will be contained in this blog.

1.8.2010 This day I was taking a "walk" and I entered the premises of the airfield located in Sinsheim. There I encountered a member of the Flugsporting Kraichgau e.V. , which is the flying club in Sinsheim. I had a short conversation with him. I told him about my flying passion and he told me that he knew of the existence of some Handicaped pilots in Germany. He also told me I should get in contact with the glider pilots association in Germany to find further information.

02.08.2010 After doing some research on the Internet I found the web page rolliflieger.de and trough that page I found the facebook page Handiflight. Both are related to the topic of flying with disabilities. 

10.08.2010 Trough these pages I was able to contact Harald Weber who is member of the German Handicapped Aviators association and an handicapped pilot himself. After a few initial conversations in which he provided valuable information he suggest that I should contact the flight surgeon Dr. Kaul.

15.08.2010 On this day I had an appointment with Benjamin Bauer who is in charge of gliders for the Flugsportring Kraichgau e.V. Sinsheim. He gave me a tour and showed me the facilities and the planes. We talked about how I could fly a glider and how I could independently get into one. Previously I had received a negative response from the board of the Flugsporting Kraichgau Club. Benjamin told me that he would discuss this mater later again as he was also a member of the board. He said that he believed any club should be opened to receive handicapped members.

15.08.2010 On this day I performed my first flight on an ASK-21 glider as a passenger. Benjamin Bauer was the pilot. The idea was to see if I could get into the glider and if I would not get air sick. In gliders you have to fly tight circles to keep the plane within thermals to gain altitude. Some people get air sick under these conditions. I was also able to get at the controls to get a feeling and to evaluate if this is something I could do. The experience was magnificent and I was now totally convinced that I had to put all my efforts into this endeavor.

16.08.2010 The flight surgeon Dr. Kaul whom I had called already one week earlier had done some research about osteogenesis impefecta. When I called him on this day, like we had agreed, he told me that he would not give me the "medical". He argued that I was too small to operate a glider and that the risk of an injury was too high. I told him that I did not agree and I proposed to have a discussion in person with him. He then told me that he would definitely not give me the "medical" and then ended quickly ended the conversation. I was of course very disappointed. This experience showed me that the current handicapped aviation scene was dominated by paraplegics and that I was even among handicapped “different”. I have a certain understanding for this attitude towards the unknown still it is many times difficult to accept.

Some days later I decided to continue to fight for my dream. I started writing letters to all sorts of flight surgeons and organizations related to aviation in Germany. In the letters I described my situation in the hope to find some help  to get the medical authorization.

06.09.2010 On this day I received an Email from the flight surgeon Andreas Adrian. He told me to contact Dr. Quast who is the head of the Aeromedical Center at the Stuttgart Airport. He told me that he was one of the highest authorities in medical aviation in Germany.

21.09.2010 On this day I finally had my first appointment with Dr. Quast in Stuttgart. The first conversation was very positive. Dr. Quast who is also a passionate pilot could immediately understand my passion towards aviation. He then made some basic tests in order to convince himself that I could operate an airplane. He then told me that before he performed a complete medical examination he would like to get a confirmation from a flight instructor that I would be able to operate a glider. He told me that if I get this ratification and that if I pass the medical exam that he would then give me the "medical"!

24.10.2010 On this day I had an appointment with a flight instructor at the hangar of the airfield in Quirnehim. Here they have an adapted ASK-21 glider. The flight instructor checked if I could operate the plane and if I was able to reach all controls and instruments. Fortunately I have pretty long arms although I am very small. This was very important because it gives me the possibility to also reach the handle to eject the canopy which is located farther away then the instrument panel.

After all the tests the flight instructor gave me the written confirmation demanded by Dr. Quast.

27.10.2010 On this day I had the medical examination at the Aeromedical Center in Stuttgart. After many tests Dr. Quast finally told me that he agreed to give me the medical class 2 for private flying in Europe! I was specially proud when he told me that my medical data was excellent for my age and considering my disability. :o) Still I got some restrictions. Because of my eyeglasses I have to always carry a second pair while flying and and I have to get my medical revalidated each year. This was probably done as a precautionary measure because of my disability. And of course I need to fly a plane that can be controlled without using my legs. This basically means that on a glider I have to operate the vertical rudder with my hands. Another necessary change is that the speed breaks can be locked on any given position so that I can use my left hand for rudder control without having to retract the air brakes.

This was a very important and special day for me! So many years I had been convinced my disability would never allow me to fly a plane. And now I had the medical authorization in my hands! :o) 

17.12.2010 Benjamin Bauer told me that I could join the theoretical training even if it was not sure that I would join the club. So on this day I had my first theoretical classes! Two hours navigation and one hour meteorology!

17.01.2011 In the meantime Benjamin Bauer had convinced the board members of the club in Sinsheim to have a meeting with me to discuss the possibility of having me as a club member so that I could get glider pilot license training. Luckily Harald Weber who is a very experienced handicapped (paraplegic) glider pilot was present in this meeting. We discussed what it meant for the club and what had to be done to make the training possible for me and for other future handicapped pilots. At the end the board unanimously voted in favor. Still they said that this was not a decision for them to take alone and that they would like to discuss it with all the other active pilots. 

04.04.2011 On this day the gathering of active pilots took place to discuss if they accepted me as a member and if they would provide me the training. This of course also means adapting one of the gliders. At night I got an email from Benjamin telling me "unanimously yes, you are on board"! :o)

Are crystals needed in the sky?

Today I decided to start a blog about my journey to become a handicapped glider pilot. First of all because I would like to document the entire story. Maybe others with some sort of disability might follow this path. I would also like to share other ideas and thoughts that might describe me as a person.

I came up with the idea to name this first chapter: "Are crystals needed in the sky?". This name is related to the genetic bone disorder with which I was born. I have osteogenesis imperfecta which is commonly also known as brittle bone disease. In Spanish, which is one of my two native languages, this disorder is commonly called "Huesos de cristal" which translated means "Crystal bones".

At the same time the atmosphere contains crystals in the form of ice or snow.

Sometimes water can not crystallize and it remains liquid at temperatures below freezing. This is called supercooled water. 

You might ask what supercooled water, crystal like bones and aviation might have in common. 

Almost two years ago an Air France Airbus A330 was lost over the Atlantic Ocean. So far little is known about what happed and why 228 people were killed. There is only the certainty that the air speed measuring equipment failed for some reason.

One of the theories is that the plane went trough a thunderstorm and that there it encountered supercooled water. Supercooled water is a very rare phenomenon. Basically what happens is that the water is so pure that it can not start building crystals (ice) although below freezing temperature. When supercooled water gets in contact with dust or any other solid material it becomes ice almost immediately. This could be a reason why the pitot tubes used to measure the airspeed of the A330 might have stopped working. Although these tubes are heated the heating might not have been strong enough to handle supercooled water.

 

So in other words we could say that for safe flying we rely on impurities in the air that help the creation of ice crystals.

So why not become a pilot despite having crystal bones? Not that I feel as an impurity myself but the analogy sounds nice to me.