It was a year ago that i started to research all things hand control related for pilots who have lower limb disability. It was also the same time that i started to form a friendship with Suzi Duncan who is a great inspiration for me and we have many things in common. Suzi worked on the development of the vision air hand control with Gippsland Aviation, down under in Melbourne.My research into hand controls took me round in circles. I found Professor Jon Fielding of Cranfield College of Aeronautical Design was involved with helping a disabled pilot many years ago develop a system for that persons particular disability. One thing led to another and after writing to him and making a personal visit to the University, i met with Dr. Howard Smith (Senior Lecturer / and Conceptual Designer) and Phil Stocking (Senior Lecturer / MSc AVD course Director) who sat with me for over an hour and very patiently listened to me and my passion for finding a solution for hand controls. Now i am sure that there are people out there who are working to find the same things as i was but i just had not come across them.My mother has been to Cranfield for various reasons and all i remember thinking was, here is a university on the doorstep of where i was learning to fly, whose remit was aeronautical design….So after my initial meeting with Howard and Phil, i was buzzing because they were excited about making my hand control problem into a project for their students. A few months had passed and i returned to Cranfield to present to a small group of students to brief them more about the project..2 students chose to pick designing rudder control for pilots with disabilities. Symeon who is with the Greek Airforce is working on the C172 and Trem, who has just been picked by cityjet to train as a pilot will be working on the PA28 – two of the most frequently used aeroplanes to train student pilots.So where are we now with the project. Well, today i was invited to attend a final group project presentation for the entire year – all 52 students. The final year group project was to design the MRT7 Harbinger Military Air-to-Air refuelling tanker with the Meridian civil transport variant. It was awesome to understand that 52 students worked together and spent 52,000 man hours to finish their project. Today members of the group presented their aeroplane to about 200 delegates from the aviation world.My humble knowledge of aviation was enhanced by attending today’s presentation. I learnt so much about so many things to do with aircraft design and build. I got to meet some really interesting people, including David Paisley from Boeing Commercial Airplanes. he works in their Advanced Concept Product Development. Having a coffee with him, i naturally started telling him about Trem and Symeon project to help disabled pilots and of Freedom in the Air. He gave me his card and asked me to get in touch with him and give him more updates. Maybe they can help.I was really blown away today by the sheer knowledge some people have. The people i met today will go onto to be tomorrow’s aeroplane designers. Everyone from the lecturers to the student clearly love what they do, likewise, i love flying aeroplanes, and i know more about what goes into actually designing and making them.Now the group project is finished, myself, Trem and Symeon can work more closely on making a set of hand controls. I met the man who is in charge of the massive 747 simulator Cranfield has and it is agreed that i should have a go at flying a jumbo – One thing that i can’t get out of my head is just how passionate Howard and Phil are about teaching and sharing their knowledge of Aeronautical engineering.
