The sky for paraplegics!
News from 3 November 2020. Last updated on 9 November 2020: some information may have changed. Latest news
The Aéro-club agenais is an association under the “law of 1901” that brings together around a hundred members around three aeroplanes and a microlight flying an average of 1 200 hours a year, of which 40% is training.
Initiated by the Société des Membres de la Légion d'Honneur (S.M.L.H.) in partnership with the Agenais flying club, the project for an aircraft fitted with a hand-operated rudder control ("malonnier") became reality on Saturday 26 September 2020 on the runway of Agen airport, with the symbolic inauguration of the aircraft and, above all, a very first flight for a paraplegic!
Thanks to financial support from the SMLH, the Lot-et-Garonne departmental council, the Agen urban area, the National Assembly's parliamentary reserve fund and a contribution from the flying club, this kit-built microlight was assembled by the club's amateur-building section.
The malonnier is a manual system that replaces the rudder pedals operated by the legs. Instead of using the feet on the rudder control and the nose wheel (which steers the aircraft on the ground), this hand-operated device, which has the same effects as the pedals, allows paraplegics to take up powered flight. The aircraft can thus be flown with the hands alone.
