Enabling the disadvantaged and disabled of all ages to share the exhilaration and fulfilment of flying
Helping Wings, Jersey’s flying charity aims to share the excitement of flying in a light aircraft with local Jersey residents who would otherwise not get the chance.
Since its inception in 2008, with the support of our members, volunteer pilots and partners, nearly 2000 guests have enjoyed a flying experience. Our guests have taken part in our activity days, been a recipient of one of our flying awards or individually arranged flights.
Those guests range from children as young as 5 through to our more senior citizens.
The aim is to be as inclusive as possible covering not just disabilities but reaching out to anyone disadvantaged or simply needing a boost in their daily lives.
Flying Awards
For some years, Helping Wings has been able to offer a number of Flying Awards. Funded by our very generous sponsors, these flying awards are aimed at local people who would not normally expect to be able to take flying lessons.
The Sir James Knott Trust has funded flying awards aimed specifically at the lower limb disabled. Helping Wings is working with the local flying school Skywalker Flight Training with the view of fitting a special adaptation in one of their aircraft. This would allow a lower limb disabled person to fully operate the aircrafts controls and so learn to fly. Helping Wings also works with UK charity Aerobility who are specialists in this field.
Ports of Jersey has, for a number of years, actively supported Helping Wings including sponsoring an annual flight training award aimed at giving flight training experience to a local person who would not otherwise get the chance.
The Butlin Family Charity Trust has also sponsored flight training awards. The latest award, worth £3500 of flying training was awarded in 2024 to Tobias Hosking who is currently flying with Skywalker Flight Training.
All our Flying Awards are awarded on an individual merit basis with candidates attending an informal interview process prior to selection.
Our Pilots
Helping Wings pilots are all volunteers, providing their services free of charge to the charity, whether using their own or group-owned aircraft, or renting from Skywalker Flight Training. They come from a wide variety of flying backgrounds, from airline pilots to private pilots. They all, however, must have a minimum level of experience (100 hours as pilot in command ) in order to fly for Helping Wings. Of course all pilots need to be correctly licensed, to be in current flying practice, and to conform with all other relevant regulations.
For each event, a Pilots Approval Checklist must be completed. Typically a pilot may be asked to fly two or three 30 minute flights during a Helping Wings Day.
Flying for Helping Wings is an enormously rewarding experience. We welcome new pilots. If you are correctly qualified and meet our minimum experience level, we would love to hear from you.
