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Engineering Opportunities for Pilots With Disabilities

A former fighter pilot who became the first paraplegic to build and fly a helicopter offers inspiration for others.

Retired Captain Stewart McQuillan in his standup chair building his helicopter. [Photo provided by: Jessica Cox]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Stewart McQuillan, a paraplegic former fighter pilot and engineer, innovated aviation by becoming the first person with paraplegia to build and fly a helicopter, earning a Guinness World Record.
  • The author, Jessica Cox (a record holder herself), is developing the "Impossible Airplane" and draws inspiration and engineering lessons, particularly the trial-and-error approach, from McQuillan's pioneering work.
  • Both McQuillan and Cox share a vision of using aviation to empower individuals with disabilities, challenging perceptions and opening new doors for veterans and children alike.
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When I sat down to lunch recently with retired Captain Stewart McQuillan in Colorado Springs, Colorado, it would have been easy to notice  a woman without arms and a man in a wheelchair—two people with disabilities having a meal together. I doubt anybody would have known they were looking at two Guinness World Record holders together in one place. 

Jessica Cox, center, with Sean McClung (left) and Stewart McQuillan with his service dog, King. [Courtesy: Jessica Cox]

Stewart once served as a Royal Air Force/U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who had to retire after his fighter plane broke up on takeoff, crushing his spine and leaving him paralyzed. He returned to aviation as soon as possible, flying fixed-wing aircraft with hand controls. 

Jessica Cox

Born without arms, Jessica Cox is the first and only licensed armless pilot in aviation history. When she’s not flying a 1946 Ercoupe in Arizona, Jessica trains in Taekwondo, mentors children with limb differences, and travels the world as a keynote speaker.

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