FSD Information Video, 2005

Video about the work of Flying Scholarships for the Disabled.

How it all began

During my forties, I’d had a couple of close calls with cancer and I didn’t know whether I was going to make it or not!! Consequently, my 50th birthday saw me organising two events, my funeral and my Birthday! Thank goodness I beat the cancer and had a wonderful party. Three years later I found out that I had a neurological problem that affects my balance and co-ordination. So I made a list of all the things I really wanted to do before getting about became too difficult. I must admit that flying wasn’t on the agenda! The closest was Falconry, I wanted to take my grandson to Disney world, and I really fancied feeding a tiger!

As I faced the fact that I was probably going to have to retire from work early, I looked around some activity that could be exciting; a challenge that could take the place of my first love, teaching and that would take my mind off my health problems. It had to be something that did not take a lot of energy, be manageable from a wheelchair and be a bit outrageous. Stamp collecting just didn’t fit the bill.

It occurred to me that I had once gave my husband a flying lesson for his birthday, and in the theory that we normally by others the things that we really like to have ourselves, I thought I’d give it a try. My family love me dearly and I had put them through enough worry, over the last few years, so I decided to do this in secret

The thing about turning 50, was for the first time in my life I stopped worrying about what other people thought of me. It was an Epiphany! I figured if they didn’t like me now they never would. My experience had been that despite half a lifetime of trying to please people, I was never able to make people that didn’t like me change their minds so I stopped trying!.

Not having to worry about what other people thought of me enabled me to think about what I wanted to do. And sometimes when I was sick, I felt very tired and old, but for the most part I feel just as I did when I was 20. (I think that’s the same for most people) I have never thought about getting old, my stubbornness revolved around getting the most out of life I possibly could. Sitting around waiting for the inevitable to happen is just a waist of time.

After a few flying lessons I decided that this was exactly what I wanted to do, but flying is terribly expensive, and it would talk me years to get a licence, A colleague told me about a charity that offered flying lessons for the disabled and of course I applied. Then I lost my mother very suddenly and I flying became very low on the agenda.

Imagine my surprise, 6 months later, when I got the news that I had been short listed and I had to go to RAF Cranwell to be assessed for my suitability.

Imaging my family’s surprise when I had to tell them that not only had I been taking flying lessons in secret but there was a real possibility of me getting a flying scholarship - 6 weeks in South Africa studying for a pilot’s licence.

There were100 applicants and 24 of us were short listed and 10 scholarships awarded. I felt very lucky to be in the presence of such courage, every one of us had a story to tell, most much worse than mine, and although desperate to be chosen, we all wanted each other to succeed. When the call came I was speechless, I had been awarded a full scholarship and would be going to South Africa in August to learn to fly. My family are still in a state of shock, they are proud of me, but totally bemused by the whole thing. I think they have accepted that living with me is never easy and always a bit of an adventure.

As for the Falcons - they are in the diary for next month. The Tigers and Disney world is going to have to wait till next year.

Judith Margolis 1st May 2006