Matthew Monaghan

How did you get into aviation?

My first Christmas present as a toddler was a toy jumbo jet with red turbine engines, which I still remember to this day. Loving aviation, I played with the idea of learning to fly, but always wrote it off due to the fact that I was born with muscular dystrophy. That was until I came across a Flying Scholarships for Disabled People (FSDP) advert. Seeing happy people, with obvious physical limitations, pictured beside their aircraft gave me the push that I needed to submit my application. 

How did your flight training go?

I did my training at Shadow Flight Centre and couldn’t wait to get into the air on the first day. 

I’m less than 5ft tall, and as I sat in the aeroplane my feet were nowhere near the rudder pedals, nor could I see out of the cockpit window. I thought it was never going to happen. My heart sank as flying seemed to be out of my reach – literally. However, Fiona Luckhurst and Raymond Proost, seasoned pros in dealing with disabled students, arranged cushions and rudder pedal extensions. 

“My disability disappears when I’m in control of an aeroplane…”

Having people believe in me made all the difference. Seeing the ground beneath me on my first lesson gave me such a buzz. As training progressed, my flying skills as well as my confidence grew – I became a proper pilot. 

Did you expect your first solo?

Not at all! On the last day of my scholarship, 30 minutes into the lesson, Raymond said he had a surprise. I genuinely didn’t know what he meant and broke out in a cold sweat when I realised it was time to solo. 

I said I couldn’t do it, to which Raymond replied he hadn’t been touching the controls at all during the last week. While he grabbed a sandbag as ballast because I’m very light, I asked Fiona for reassurance. Her reply was all I needed to hear, “Do you think I’d send you up if I thought you couldn’t?”

Still shaking, half with nerves and half with adrenaline, I had to check the right-hand seat at 600ft as I couldn’t believe I was on my own. 

After completing a circuit, I nearly broke down on landing. Flying solo for the first time was the single most incredible moment of my life. To this day it still feels like a dream.

How has your flying developed since?

Determined to continue flying, I returned to Old Sarum regularly for hour-building. In October 2019 I obtained my PPL, which was a really emotional moment. Three years earlier I’d never thought I’d be able to fly an aeroplane, let alone become a private pilot. My PPL was the culmination of so much effort – my own work, but also the help of Shadow Flight and FSDP. 

What are your plans for the future?

I hope to take my mother up for a flight soon. This has been my aspiration since the start of my training as she has always supported me. I’d like to show her Stonehenge, you pass it on the way to the airport, so it’d be nice to see it from the air as well. My mum will love flying, she’s a real daredevil! I also want to take up my flying buddy Dawn Geer, who’s become a really close friend of mine. 

Aircraft-wise, Fiona promised me I can pilot a Shadow, a high-wing aircraft with a tandem seating arrangement and with the propeller on the back. I’ve flown one as a passenger, it’s very robust and hard to stall. I’m very much looking forward to it. 

If you could have any aircraft in your ‘fantasy hangar’, what would it be?

An F16. As a child I watched the videos of these fighter jets creating a sonic boom by breaking the sound barrier. The sheer speed appeals to me, as well as the g-forces. I think secretly we all want to be Top Gun.

What has learning to fly meant?

It’s been my journey to independence. When I got chosen to interview, it was like I’d already won, as I’d travel on my own. Being offered a place on the programme was the cherry on top.

Apart from independence, through FSDP I’ve had a helicopter ride and made friends who’ve introduced me to horse riding and festivals. The scholarship has brought me so much more than just flight training.

What do you love most about flying?

I like flying slow, as it gives me time to think and take in my surroundings. Even more, though, I love flying by myself. On my own in the aircraft, I’m high on adrenaline. My disability disappears when I’m in control of an aeroplane. Being in charge of something as massive as an aircraft is very empowering and liberating – it’s just fantastic. 

l If you are disabled and want details on flying scholarship opportunities, visit www.fsdp.co.uk