Mandy in the hot seatSINCE she was a little girl Mandy Pantall has dreamed of achieving her pilot's licence. She was well on course after learning to fly gliders aged just 14.

But a serious horse riding accident in 1998 left her disabled and fearing her dreams were over.

In March she was awarded a flying scholarship for the disabled and last week set out on the path to the skies once again.

The scholarship, worth more that £8,000, allowed her to train for a week at Goodwood Flying School, near Chichester.

Now she plans to carry on her flight training in the hope of achieving her lifelong dream.

Miss Pantall, 33, of Harvard Close, Melksham, said: "For me as long as I'm in the air I am happy.

"I am now fighting back hard to achieve my dream of becoming airborne again.

"Prior to my accident I was an incredibly fit and active person who was both confident and lived life to the full.

"After the accident I lost a lot of confidence and I was off work for five years.

"It was very difficult to get that feeling of excitement I used to have, but friends of mine suggested the Flying Scholarship for the Disabled charity."

Miss Pantall applied for one of the nine places on the course, which offers 10 hours of flying and intensive theory training on navigation and aviation law. She arrived home on Monday and says the course has given her a new lease of life.

She said: "As a consequence of it, my whole life has been turned around and I feel excited about my future.

"When I was awarded that scholarship my feelings changed from that of my disability to my ability.

"The idea behind the scholarship is that it gives you the opportunity to find out, are you capable? Do you want to continue with it?

"But the main thing is it gives us the opportunity as disabled people to prove it to ourselves we can still do things.

"Not being able to enjoy my hobbies and life passions left me feeling I had not only lost my dreams but also the essence of 'me'."

The charity was set up in memory of Sir Douglas Bader a World War II fighter pilot who lost both his legs in an accident but continued flying.

It gives out scholarships to disabled people to help them discover their true potential through the mental and physical stimulation of learning to fly.

The 10 hours flying goes towards the 45 hours needed for a pilot's licence.

There are also seven theory exams and a final practical test in the air, which Miss Pantall aims to have completed in the next 18 months.

She is now looking for sponsorship. For more information call her on 07754 528887 or visit www.toreachforthesky.org