Monday, May 12, 2008Ñ Adele Schneidereit, the woman who is working toward the goal of being the first disabled person to fly around the world, earned her pilotÕs certificate.

Today, Schneidereit became one of the few people with a developmental disability, specifically Cerebral Palsy to earn a pilotÕs license.

Proud of her accomplishment and thankful to those who had supported her along her journey, Schneidereit said:

ÒEarning my wings was more difficult than I originally anticipated, but it was well worth it.  I have many people to thank for their help.  My husband is the most supportive person, but there are many others.  I have learned to fly and endeavor to fly around the world to show how far a person with disability can go.Ó

We asked Schneidereit what is different about flying the airplane for her because she has a disability:

ÒI do certain things differently because I have to.  Starting the engine for example is usually a two-handed process that I have refined to a single-handed procedure.  IÕve become a Ômaster of trimÕ knowing how many swipes and in which direction is needed to hold the plane at the exact air speed for each maneuver.  This frees my right hand to help with the yoke, work the throttle, or put in flaps.  IÕve been told that I have an excellent understanding of the relationship between trim and power using trim as a tool and not merely a labor-saving device.Ó 

Where any changes made to the airplane to accommodate SchneidereitÕs disability?

ÒNo.  The plane is stock and I have to figure out how to do things differently, if I have to.Ó

Flight training time and costs added up to much more than Schneidereit first anticipated:

ÒThe lengthy medical process and having to change flight schools were the two main reasons it took so long.  The FAA medical/SODA process took 11 months.  After I changed flight schools, I had to demonstrate all 40 fundamentals of flight to my new instructor and do part of ground school over again so that my new instructor knew that the critical information had been covered.Ó

Was the process of becoming a pilot like she thought it would be?

No.  Like most people starting out, I thought I could earn my wings in 40 hours.  I soon learned it often takes longer for many different reasons.   However, the extra training and experience take me closer to building the skills I need to fly around the world.Ó

WhatÕs next for Schneidereit?

ÒI will continue my flight training in the type of airplane in which IÕll be flying around the world and will earn my Instrument Rating.  For further training, I will take trips out of the country to Mexico and Canada.  I understand that earning my Private Pilot License is earning a ÔLicense to Learn.ÕÓ