Somerset: The amputee former soldier retraining as a pilot

A former soldier who dreamed of being a pilot will realise his ambition, ten years after severe injury led to the amputation of one of his legs.

Louis Farrell from Wincanton suffered serious injury when his leg became trapped while on active duty in 2013.

Through the veterans' charity Wings for Warriors, he has secured a funded place on a training programme that will end with a job as a commercial pilot.

"I can't wait to achieve that goal," he said.

"I had no idea that as an amputee I'd be able to fly commercially until I met Wings for Warriors.

"Being accepted as one of their students has been life changing. They are funding my training and doing so much more - I'm part of a team of veterans and aviation industry experts.

He added: "I now have my private pilot's license, over 150 hours of flight time and I'm well on my way to becoming a commercial pilot."

The airline TUI has provided training and mentoring to Louis, and is the airline that will employ him when he completes his training.

Wings for Warriors trains wounded, injured or sick service personnel as professional pilots.

The charity's chair and founder, Mark Radcliffe, said: "For many soldiers, life outside the forces can appear scary and uncertain at the best of times. Add a life changing injury to the equation and the future can quickly become a dark and depressing place.

"Instead of a short-term project or challenge, we ensure veterans, and their families will continue benefiting from our support on a sustainable basis.

He added: "Louis is typical of our students - hard-working and determined. He is going to be an excellent airline pilot and I look forward to flying with him."

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