In what is believed to be a world-first, a pilot’s seat on a Boeing 737 simulator was replaced with a wheelchair as residents from Jewish National Fund-USA’s (JNF-USA) Adi Negev Nahalat Eran rehabilitation village in Israel were offered the chance to experience the magic of piloting an airplane.
In addition to completely removing the co-pilot’s seat from the Boeing 737 flight simulator, a ramp was built to provide the ADI residents with direct access to the cockpit. As Captain Tanner explained, “other than these minor adjustments, the simulator was not altered in any way and the ADI residents enjoyed the same experience as other flight students.”
After touchdown, the intrepid flyers received their wings and a certificate of course completion from EL AL Fly Card and Frequent Flyer Club CEO Lior Tanner in the presence of the Founder and Chairman of ADI Negev Major General (Res.) Doron Almog and Director of ADI Jerusalem Shlomit Grayevsky.
For more information or to support JNF-USA’s work with people with disabilities, visit jnf.org/disabilities.
