Ricci Foundation Helps Able Flight, Program Grad Soar

The Ricci Family Foundation sold an adaptive Sky Arrow aircraft to an Able Flight graduate and donated the proceeds—along with a matching contribution—to Able Flight’s training programs for people with physical disabilities. The aircraft, which the Ricci Foundation originally loaned to Able Flight in 2015, was designed with hand-controlled flight systems that allow pilots with limited lower-body mobility to fly independently.

Samuel Mahoney, a 2019 Able Flight graduate, purchased the Sky Arrow. After a fall that cost him the use of his legs, he had learned to fly in the same aircraft. Mahoney plans to base the airplane at his home airfield near Green Bay, Wisconsin, and continue the organization’s mission “on a grassroots level” by introducing others with physical disabilities to aviation at local events and regional gatherings, including EAA AirVenture.

The Sky Arrow, which features special hand-only flight controls, is known for predictable handling and panoramic visibility. With a 124-mph cruise speed and a 600-nm range, it has served as a core training platform in Able Flight’s program, helping more than 100 students earn pilot certificates through its adapted fleet.

Ricci Foundation board member Elizabeth K. Ricci said Mahoney’s acquisition “strengthened Able Flight’s impact” by returning the Sky Arrow to active use and informal ambassadorship of aviation for people with physical disabilities.