Musselburgh teen with sight loss fulfils dream of flying plane

Taking off from Dundee Airport, Charlie Russell, 15, of Millhill, sat beside an experienced pilot in a small dual-control Pipe warrior aircraft, used for teaching novice flyers.

Charlie, a pupil at Musselburgh Grammar School, has severe amblyopia in his left eye, resulting in about 15 per cent vision.

Charlie Russell

He later said the “amazing” flight, during which he took the controls of the plane, was “a once-in-a-lifetime” experience.

He was given the chance to take to the sky by Flying Aces – a scheme set up by the Royal Air Force Air Cadets and funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, whereby young people from disabled or disadvantaged backgrounds can experience the thrill of flight.

On the ground, Charlie’s mum Stacey and dad Peter watched their son in action in the air.

Stacey said: “Charlie was given the opportunity to observe and learn from a pilot before being handed the controls to fly the plane.

“The RAF team were hugely impressed with his skills and he loved every minute.

“As well as flying the plane, he was also able to use the hi-tech flight simulator equipment, where he successfully flew and landed the flight he was in charge of.

“The staff were full of praise for his skills and calmness when in control, even when he was doing a bit of drifting – something they had not seen before.”

Charlie takes control of the plane

She explained that the plane touched down and took off again as Charlie was shown how the landing gear worked as part of the 15-minute flight, which took him to 1,800 feet.

Group captain Jim Leggat, regional commandant for the Air Cadets in Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: “We encourage young people to think: ‘If I can fly an aeroplane, is there anything in life I can’t do?’

“The exercise is about getting them to control the aircraft as much as possible.

“They will be flying to the extent that any youngster – air cadet or not, disabled or not – is asked to.

“While, ultimately, it’s a matter for the instructor’s judgement, the young people have a chance to pull back on the control column and feel the aircraft rising. They will also experience turning, flying level, climbing and descending.

“We know that blind and partially-sighted flyers are likely to get much more out of the experience than those who do have sight. They ‘feel’ flight and appreciate the various gravitational and other forces acting on the aircraft that are often lost on others.”

Charlie gets flying trips from pilot Paul Stephenson as part of the Flying Aces scheme

Jane Coates, from RNIB Scotland, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for more of our young people to try something they might otherwise have never been given the chance to do because of their sight loss.

“What youngster wouldn’t be thrilled to fly a plane alongside a pilot used to teaching novices? Flying Aces have gone out of their way to make this dream a reality.”

Three other youngsters, one boy who is also partially sighted and two girls who are deaf, from Edinburgh, Falkirk and Stenhousemuir, also enjoyed the experience.