An adapted aircraft for pilots with physical disabilities will be acquired by an Able Flight graduate for new pilots with disabilities.
The Ricci Family Foundation announced it will donate and match the proceeds from the sale of a Sky Arrow aircraft.
The adapted aircraft is designed for pilots with physical disabilities.
An Able Flight graduate will acquire it to help introduce new pilots with disabilities to aviation.
The aircraft enables people with physical disabilities to become pilots.
The aircraft’s buyer is a pilot who learned to fly in it through the Able Flight Program and will use it to help more people with disabilities discover aviation.
The Ricci Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by aviation entrepreneur Kenn Ricci, and administered with his wife, Pamela, and children, Austin, Kennedy, and Elizabeth.
Kenn Ricci is chairman of Flexjet, Inc.
The company includes Flexjet, Sentient Jets, and FXAir, among others.
It loaned the Sky Arrow sport plane to Able Flight in 2015.
Founded in 2006, Able Flight is a nonprofit organization that provides individuals with disabilities, including many military veterans, the opportunity to challenge themselves through flight and aviation career training.
As the program evolved, the Sky Arrow aircraft was phased out of the curriculum.
However, it remained popular with those who received their training in it.
Today, the aircraft was officially transferred to Samuel Mahoney.
After losing the ability to use his legs after a fall, Mahoney learned to fly through the Able Flight program and is a 2019 graduate.
The Ricci Family Foundation will subsequently allocate the proceeds from the sale to Able Flight and match the contribution, further advancing the organization’s mission.
To date, more than 100 students have become pilots through Able Flight’s specially adapted three-aircraft fleet.
Some have gone on to achieve successful careers in the aviation industry, including roles such as airline dispatchers and helicopter EMS pilots.
Kenn Ricci said, “When I began my own aviation journey decades ago, it quickly became clear to me that flying is most magical when shared with others.”
He added, “Supporting Able Flight takes this a step further by empowering individuals with disabilities to achieve their dreams of flight.”
Ricci continued, “Whether enjoying flying as a hobby or pursuing a professional pilot career, we are all united in our passion for aviation.”
Mahoney will base the Sky Arrow at his home airfield near Green Bay, Wisconsin.
In addition to pleasure flying, he has committed to continuing the Able Flight mission on a grassroots level, introducing others with physical disabilities through immersive in-person experiences at his local airfield and at various events in the Midwest, such as EAA AirVenture.
Elizabeth Ricci added, “Through this singular action, Samuel has both strengthened Able Flight’s impact and set this aircraft back on course, serving as a gateway to aviation for those with disabilities.”
Elizabeth K. Ricci is CEO of aircraft management organizations Corporate Wings and Sirio and a member of the Ricci Family Foundation board.
The Sky Arrow is equipped with special flight controls that enable pilots to control the aircraft entirely with their hands.
Its predictable, forgiving handling characteristics and panoramic visibility provide an ideal training platform.
A modern light aircraft with a 124-mph cruise speed and 600 nautical miles range, the Sky Arrow is economical to fly.
It provides its two occupants with panoramic visibility from the wraparound canopy.
“Flying gives me a feeling of freedom,” said Mahoney, who trained in the very aircraft he now owns.
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