BLOG: Orientation and Mobility Training to Fly a Plane

Fred and Kaiya sit beside eachother at a table working on a laptop

Orientation and Mobility Training to Fly a Plane   How an Orientation and Mobility instructor and former pilot is playing a role in Flight for Sight   By Chloe Ranshaw     Fred Hall, a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Orientation & Mobility instructor, joined Foundation for Blind Children in 2021 with a unique […]

BLOG: Adaptations for a Blind Pilot

A woman with dark hair wears the Patriot headset to read a book

Adaptations for a Blind Pilot   How can someone fly a plane without vision?   By Chloe Ranshaw   Is it possible for a person without vision to fly a plane? While most pilots rely on sight, it is possible for a blind pilot to rely on sound, touch and other adaptations instead. Adaptations allow the […]

BLOG: Conquering the Skies With Vision Loss

Wide view of the sky and desert from the wing of a white plane flown by a person with vision loss

Conquering the Skies With Vision Loss   “It’s like you enter a whole different world.”   By Chloe Ranshaw   “I didn’t know what to imagine but my dad told me to imagine a rollercoaster”, says Kaiya Armstrong. She remembers the first time she ever stepped foot in a plane, a small Cessna aircraft, as […]

BLOG: Flight Simulator Training at Aerial Engagement

Kaiya sits wearing a pink t-shirt and black glasses in a dark room looks at a flight simulator control panel and screens

Blind Pilot Trains on Flight Simulator   Kaiya continues Flight for Sight training at Aerial Engagement   By Chloe Ranshaw     Blind 21-year-old and soon-to-be pilot, Kaiya Armstrong, continues training on flight simulator at Aerial Engagement in Scottsdale, Ariz. Kaiya’s training as part of Foundation for Blind Children’s Flight for Sight is almost complete. […]

PHOTOS: Deer Valley Airport Control Tower Tour

Kaiya stands with her white cane beside tour guide at the top of the tower

Deer Valley Airport Control Tower Tour Previous Next Kaiya toured Deer Valley Airport’s Air Control Tower. The opportunity gave Kaiya a chance to better understand the the process of air traffic. As well as, a visual of who’s on the other end of the radio during in flight training opportunities.

VIDEO: Kaiya Flies a Plane for the First Time

Wide view of mountains from the wing of a plane

Kaiya Flies a Plane for the First Time Kaiya piloted a small aircraft for the first time in her life. In the video above, Kaiya is in the pilot’s seat expertly flying the plane beside a certified flight instructor. Since this experience, Kaiya has had multiple in-air training sessions on top of her ground school […]