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SJ-R.COM - Deaf pilot’s efforts to unite group celebrated
Clyde Smith wanted to be a pilot for as long as he could remember, and he wasn’t going to let the fact that he was deaf stand in the way.
His determination helped him earn his pilot’s license under the tutelage of Don Allen in Jacksonville 17 years ago, and shortly after that, he set out to find out how many others in his situation there were in the country.
Smith, who retired three years ago after 20 years of teaching and coaching at Illinois School for the Deaf, was able to enjoy the fruits of that effort at his home base Thursday during a fly-in social and cookout at Jacksonville Airport sponsored by the Jacksonville Community Center for the Deaf.
About 75 people were on hand, with more on the way, shortly after noon Thursday, with several pilots from the U.S. and Europe stopping by Jacksonville during the weeklong 14th annual Deaf Pilots Association fly-in, being held this year in St. Charles, Mo.
With his wife, Maralee Hankins-Smith, a 25-year teacher at ISD, interpreting, Smith explained how the Deaf Pilots Association came to be.
“When I was a young boy in Tennessee, I wanted to be a pilot,” he said. “I guess I wanted to because it was such a challenge. When I got my pilot’s license, I wanted to know of other deaf pilots in the U.S., and Jack Kelsey (from Atlanta) and I went to the medical board of the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) in Washington, D.C., and asked for the names of other deaf pilots.
“They wouldn’t give us that because of confidentiality, but a woman with the FAA sent a letter to the board to explain, and two weeks later, we got the list. I couldn’t believe there were 150 deaf pilots in the country. I asked if they would want to set up an organization, and about half of them said yes.”
At the first fly-in, Smith said, “eleven pilots showed up, and we discussed bylaws and how to protect the rights of deaf pilots.”
Previous national fly-ins have been held in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and other major cities. Deaf pilots from Europe attended even though they are not allowed to fly in their own countries, Smith said. The organization has about 150 members, 35 of them pilots.
One of the organization members, Mark Stern of California, three years ago flew to 48 states in 48 days, Smith noted.
Smith, who owns a Cessna 150 kept at Jacksonville Airport, said workshops and discussion, frequently attended by FAA personnel, are used to keep up on new safety laws and regulations.
Smith said restrictions involving deaf pilots are fairly minor. “They (pilots) can only land by themselves at certain airports,” he said. “At controlled fields (with a control tower), you call ahead (by TDD or by a hearing person) to an airport and give them your flight plan and approximate arrival time, then they (controlled airports) use a light gun to guide you in ... lights of red, green and white.”
At noncontrolled fields, deaf pilots utilize the normal instruments to take off and land.
“Deaf pilots can’t fly into major airports, such as Chicago and St. Louis, but there are 15,000 airports in the U.S., and only 750 are closed to deaf pilots,” Smith said. “Those are the only challenges, and the only challenge in getting a license is between the teacher and student. Sometimes you have teachers who are afraid of deaf pilots and don’t realize we can communicate.”
Clyde Smith wanted to be a pilot for as long as he could remember, and he wasn’t going to let the fact that he was deaf stand in the way.
His determination helped him earn his pilot’s license under the tutelage of Don Allen in Jacksonville 17 years ago, and shortly after that, he set out to find out how many others in his situation there were in the country.
Smith, who retired three years ago after 20 years of teaching and coaching at Illinois School for the Deaf, was able to enjoy the fruits of that effort at his home base Thursday during a fly-in social and cookout at Jacksonville Airport sponsored by the Jacksonville Community Center for the Deaf.
About 75 people were on hand, with more on the way, shortly after noon Thursday, with several pilots from the U.S. and Europe stopping by Jacksonville during the weeklong 14th annual Deaf Pilots Association fly-in, being held this year in St. Charles, Mo.
With his wife, Maralee Hankins-Smith, a 25-year teacher at ISD, interpreting, Smith explained how the Deaf Pilots Association came to be.
“When I was a young boy in Tennessee, I wanted to be a pilot,” he said. “I guess I wanted to because it was such a challenge. When I got my pilot’s license, I wanted to know of other deaf pilots in the U.S., and Jack Kelsey (from Atlanta) and I went to the medical board of the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) in Washington, D.C., and asked for the names of other deaf pilots.
“They wouldn’t give us that because of confidentiality, but a woman with the FAA sent a letter to the board to explain, and two weeks later, we got the list. I couldn’t believe there were 150 deaf pilots in the country. I asked if they would want to set up an organization, and about half of them said yes.”
At the first fly-in, Smith said, “eleven pilots showed up, and we discussed bylaws and how to protect the rights of deaf pilots.”
Previous national fly-ins have been held in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and other major cities. Deaf pilots from Europe attended even though they are not allowed to fly in their own countries, Smith said. The organization has about 150 members, 35 of them pilots.
One of the organization members, Mark Stern of California, three years ago flew to 48 states in 48 days, Smith noted.
Smith, who owns a Cessna 150 kept at Jacksonville Airport, said workshops and discussion, frequently attended by FAA personnel, are used to keep up on new safety laws and regulations.
Smith said restrictions involving deaf pilots are fairly minor. “They (pilots) can only land by themselves at certain airports,” he said. “At controlled fields (with a control tower), you call ahead (by TDD or by a hearing person) to an airport and give them your flight plan and approximate arrival time, then they (controlled airports) use a light gun to guide you in ... lights of red, green and white.”
At noncontrolled fields, deaf pilots utilize the normal instruments to take off and land.
“Deaf pilots can’t fly into major airports, such as Chicago and St. Louis, but there are 15,000 airports in the U.S., and only 750 are closed to deaf pilots,” Smith said. “Those are the only challenges, and the only challenge in getting a license is between the teacher and student. Sometimes you have teachers who are afraid of deaf pilots and don’t realize we can communicate.”