SANFORD — An adaptive flight training program is giving those with disabilities the chance to feel the freedom of flying.

Dennis Kathios flew up in the air with a flight instructor Sunday, at an adaptive flight demonstration day at Southern Maine Aviation in Sanford.

“It made me feel young again,” said the 50-year-old from Dover, N.H. Kathios uses a wheelchair, having broken his neck when he was 22 years old.

Kathios heard about the event through Northeast Passage, an agency that provides recreational opportunities for people with disabilities.

Prior to two weeks ago, Kathios said that he had never thought about flying a plane. He admitted to being a little scared prior to flying, and jokingly said he thought he might pass out. However, his fears were calmed once he got up in the air.

“It was great. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be,” he said.

After his first taste in the air, Kathios said he is seriously thinking about pursuing flight training.

Ed Clark, of Windham, N.H., is the school’s first adaptive student to get a pilot’s license. Clark, a paraplegic who uses a wheelchair, has had a private pilot’s license for three years.

Clark said that he had wondered what flying a plane would be like, and he thought it would be fun to give it a try. He likes to look down at fields, woods, and other scenery, he said, and being in a plane gives him a chance to get a better look at scenery than being in a car.

“I like to sight-see,” he said.

He said that flying gives him a sense of freedom and he recommends that others give flying lessons a whirl.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said.

Airplanes can be equipped for adaptive use with a hand control approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.  The lever allows the pilot to control the rudder and brakes by hand instead of foot.

Clark said that the adaptive controls are easy to use, as he is accustomed to driving a car with adaptive hand controls.

Rich Whicker has been a flight instructor for more than 30 years. He said that when he first found out about adaptive airplane controls, he was fascinated. Whicker said that he enjoys teaching, and learning to fly is empowering for anyone.

“Most of us are very success-oriented. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in a wheelchair or not,” he said.

Once someone becomes used to flying, “it becomes natural, like driving,” he said.

Adaptive plane pilots seeking a license must conform to the same requirements as those using standard planes, said Whicker.

“Once you’re in the airplane, it’s all equal,” he said.

For more information on adaptive flying lessons, contact Southern Maine Aviation at 324-8919 or visit their Web site at www.southernmaineaviation.com.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.