My name is Krzysztof (Chris) Lapinski. I am 40 and started flying a long, long time ago in galaxy far, far away. I soloed in a glider in Poland before I was sixteen and a year or two later I earned my silver glider badge but I never went for my license. I quit flying after communists established military law and in my local flying club there were more politics than flying. I returned to aviation in the USA and in 1997 earned my private pilot license (single engine) and a year later I became instrument rated. In the beginning of 1999, during my commercial, CFI, and CFII training (I did all three at once), I went skiing at Hunter Mountain, NY and broke my back. Since then I am paralyzed and had to stop flying. I only needed a long cross country before my practical exam. I had passed the written tests for all three ratings already. It was difficult time for me. I thought that all my training and all the time I devoted was wasted.

Years ago I received brochure from Mt. Sinai which included an article about flying gliders in Northeastern Pennsylvania with an organization called Freedom's Wings International. I called Ray Temchus and he put me in contact with another FWI member named Chris Bigalke with whom I had an introductory flight.

After several more glider flights and because of patience and devotion of Gil Frost, my flight instructor with whom I had most of my flights as a student pilot, I was encouraged enough that I decided to go to California to try to fly power planes with hand controls. In October 2004 I purchased a Piper Archer and installed hand controls. In May 2005 I passed the Standard of Demonstrated Ability with FAA and got my private pilot license back. In August I passed IFR proficiency check. So, I've recovered everything I lost after my accident. And in October 2005 I added new rating - glider pilot license.

I would like to thank Gil for training me and I would also like to thank Bob Greenblatt and Jim Josenhans, my two other instructors, and everyone with Freedom's Wings.

I must say that since I joined Freedom's Wings my life has changed. I have become a much more active person. Before, I was working, reading and watching TV and nothing else, now I do many more different things that I never thought I could.

What I remember most about that day was that it was great fun. I enjoyed the soaring and also the camaraderie of the pilots of Freedom's Wings who had mastered soaring in spite of their disabilities. They inspired and encouraged me to return. Over the next several months I did so many times and on August 24, 1999 earned my glider rating. As these winter days drag drearily along, I wistfully reminisce of those sunny days soaring with Freedom's Wings and count the days until spring.