Flying with artificial limbs

On Friday, June 27, 1997 3:00:00 AM UTC-4, Willy Van wrote:
I have a friend interested in obtaining his private pilots licence in
Canada. He has one artificial leg and is concerned about his ability to
operate the rudder pedals particularily for braking. On the advice of
the local club he contacted a local physician who advised him that he
could fly with "Modifications".

Before shelling out $80.00 (can). for a medical, he was wondering if
anyone else is famaliar with his situation and could offer any advice.

Please e-mail your response as well as posting.


Thanks
Willy Van



I am an above the knee amputee, and am interested in learning to fly ( again - flight instruction was interrupted in 2001, just short of soloing, but I let life get in the way and never finished ).

Enjoyed reading all of the stories posted here. However - as wonderful as the stories of modifying war era planes in order to keep an ace flying are, modifying the local trainer is kind of out of reach - assuming the owner didn't mind of course.

I really don't mind traveling a few hundred miles to get this rolling again - sounds like hand breaks may not be too difficult to find - the real problem is rudders. Lacking the 40k miracle knee that you may have heard about, I have very little control of the knee when it bends in a sitting position - that is to say that it will not "lock" in a bent position, nor does it have enough resistance to - for instance, depress a gas or brake pedal.

Perhaps the best way to explain is that above the knee amputees can only climb stairs with their "real" leg - there isn't enough control during the bend cycle on the artificial limb to use it on a step higher than one's "real" leg.

OK sorry - got a little long winded there. Suffice to say that I would not be able to use rudder pedals ( or toe breaks ). Any chance I can find a reasonable trainer with hand rudders?