About Us
The purpose of Freedom's Wings International is to bring the world of soaring to disabled persons by:
- Exposing persons with disabilities to the soaring experience
- Teaching qualified persons with disabilities to soar
- Providing facilities for soaring to those persons with disabilities able to soar
- Providing training for instructors, ground crew, and flying students
- Providing a non-profit educational and fraternal organization
- Serving as a resource and model for other organizations with similar intent
Contact us
- president
- (800) 382-1197
- Freedom's Wings International Inc.
324 Charles Street, Apt #25
Coopersburg, PA 18036
Vounteers Needed!
- Inspiration flight pilots
- Ground operations
- Fundraising
- Community Outreach/Education
- Volunteer recruitment
- Scheduling
Member Experiences
- Richard Fucci recounts his start with Freedom's Wings International.
- Krzysztof (Chris) Lapinski writes about his return to aviation.
- Jennifer Branda recounts her instruction flight with Freedom's Wings founder Irv Soble and visit the Video Gallery section below to view her video "Chair".
- Santina Muha gathers her courage to go for her first glider ride. Read about it in her article reprinted from SCILife.
- Marlowe Horn writes about her experience with a sister organization - Freedom's Wings Canada.
- Tom Cannalonga details his flight with FWI in 2001. Here's a link to his fantastic article with photos on every aspect of his experience. And be sure to visit his website if you're a skier!
- NBC News correspondent, Mike Taibbi wrote a beautiful piece about accompanying FWI on one of our outreach events at Mid-Atlantic Soaring. Go to our Video Gallery section below to view the videos of Mike's interview featured on the NBC Nightly News.
There Are Many Ways to Support Freedoms Wings International
The mission of Freedom's Wings International (FWI) is to provide soaring opportunities for persons with disabilities. FWI depends entirely upon the generosity of our members and the organizations and friends who support our activites.
There are many ways that you can help.
You can volunteer your time.
You can provide a financial donation.
You can support us by using GoodSearch and GoodShop in your day to day activities on the internet. Here is how:
You can help us a lot by using Good Search instead of your usual internet search engine. Every time you search the internet, Freedom’s Wings gets a penny. It’s not much, but it adds up. So far this year, we made $30.00. If you contribute, this will accumulate even faster. Here’s how:
1) Click on this Link: GoodSearch.
2)
Follow the directions to add Good Search to your browser’s tool bar.
If you shop on the internet, use Good Shop to link to your favorite sites. (Freedom’s Wings is working on getting some of your favorite soaring suppliers on Good Shop).
1)
Just go to this link GoodShop.
2)
Follow the directions to add Good Shop to your browser’s tool bar.
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A special plea for your financial support.
Your financial support of FWI is more important than ever before. We urge you to be generous in helping us. Your contribution, in any amount, will be most gratefully appreciated. Every dime that we receive goes right back into the FWI program and into the maintenance and operation of our fleet of two aircraft.
Persons already making donations to the United Way Campaign, can designate FWI as a recipient.
For those of you who have enjoyed flying with us, we suggest that you provide information about FWI to the various organizations you do business with. Perhaps they would be inclined to support us as well. Don't forget that we are a non-profit organization, recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Accordingly, any contribution you make to us is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Thank you from all of us who care so deeply about Freedom's Wings International and for helping us meet our obligations and future objectives.
What is Soaring
Take a Ride
Click here for an online ride-release waver form.
Learn to Fly
Membership
Click here for an online membership form. Click here to review the minutes from our last board meeting.
Outreach - We Come To You
Calendar of Events 2009
- 2009 Board Meetings
- Members welcome to attend.
April 18; July 18; October 17
All meetings are on Saturdays, beginning at 10:30 AM and will be held at the Warren County Library, 4 Lambert Road, Blairstown, NJ 08725. Phone Number: (908) 362-8335 Click here to visit the website. - General Membership Meeting
- The next General Membership Meeting will be held March 20, 2010 - same place and time as the above.
- The Freedom's Wings Picnic
- This years picnic will be September 12, 2009 at either Van Sant or Blairstown... to be announced.
- 2009 Introductory Glider Ride Events
- These events offer introductory glider rides to persons with disabilities. They are scheduled as follows:
- Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7 - at Philadelphia Glider Council in Hilltown PA
- Friday September 11 at Van Sant or Blairstown for Mount Sinai Rehab Hospital
- Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25 at Mid-Altlantic Soaring Association in Fairfield, PA
The Rain dates for all events are the following week.
Past Events
Newletters
Video Gallery
- NBC Nightly News recently featured Freedom's Wings in their "Making a Difference" segment. NBC News correspondent, Mike Taibbi interviewed FWI officers Richard Fucci and Bill Murphy at an outreach event co-hosted with Mid-Atlantic Soaring. The links provided here will take you to the MSNBC video website but you'll need to be patient while a very brief advertisement plays first. Click here to view the video broadcast nationally on the NBS Nightly News with Brian Williams and click here to view a companion piece with Richard explaining the operation of a glider and how pilots with disabilities operate FWI's specially modified gliders. Mike's NBC blog entry for the event can be viewed here.
- Freedom's Wings member Jennifer Branda shares her passion for flying in her inspiring video "Chair". Click here to view it.