A British Army officer recovering from wounds suffered in Afghanistan has flown a specially-adapted Tecnam P2006T in a night pyrotechnic show to open the 2012 Paralympic Games.
Lance Corporal Dave Rawlins flew the Tecnam as the first part of the opening ceremony, with the aircraft decorated with LED strip lights and fitted with wing-tip pyro dispensers. He insipred the crowd and athletes below by broadcasting from the cockpit "If you put your mind to it, you can do it."
Rawlins had passed his PPL last year as part of his rehabilitation, under the watchful eye of UK charity Aerobility. Aerobility offers disabled people, without exception, the opportunity to fly aeroplanes, and chose the P2006T as the perfect aircraft for Rawlins' Paralympic mission.
“We are extremely honored that Aerobility chose Tecnam to be their key partner in this very special project,” said Tecnam's Managing Director, Paolo Pascale. “The Tecnam team pride themselves on making our aeroplanes available to as wide a group of pilots as possible. I offer Dave Rawlins my personal congratulations on a superb flying achievement.”
Pascale and Tecnam's senior management in Capua, Italy, were instrumental in getting the twin modified to meet both EASA and UK CAA requirements, and further support came from Tecnam UK's dealer Aeros Ltd, who helped Rawlins with his multi-engine rating, and Gama Engineering, who installed the LEDs and pyro dispensers. Display pilot Guy Westgate added further expertise to the team.
"The personal challenge of Dave performing last night ... cannot be underestimated” said Tim Orchard of Tecnam UK. “The exceptional team work and support provided by Aerobility, Tecnam, Aeros, Guy Westgate and particularly the Gama Engineering team proved to the disabled community the maxim that if I can fly a plane, what else can I do?”
Australia has its own version of Aerobility, Wheelies with Wings, which does great work getting wheelchair-bound fliers off the ground and into the air. Check out www.wheelieswithwings.com.au.