Blind since birth, 56-year-old becomes Italy’s first visually impaired student pilot and reaches 200 flight hours

Lucia Sabrina Papa, 56, has become Italy’s first visually impaired student pilot. Blind since birth, she has so far completed 200 flight hours in ultralight aircraft and is continuing her experience in general aviation.

Lucia was born in Salice Salentino, in the province of Lecce. Her blindness is the result of a retinal dystrophy she has had since birth. Her desire to fly began in childhood, when she lived near the “Fortunato Cesari” military airport in Galatina and listened to the planes passing overhead.

She recalls that as soon as she heard their noise, she would run out into the garden. The roar of the planes gave her the sensation that they could lift her off the ground. As a child, Lucia says, she did not dream of becoming a pilot, but of being the airplane itself, flying higher and faster than the birds. She imagined the sky as infinite and free, in contrast to the ground, which, because of her condition, seemed full of obstacles.

After a career in information technology, Lucia began moving closer to aviation in 2016. She says she began flying 11 years ago thanks to the “Baroni rotti” and “We-Fly Team” associations. At first, she traveled as a passenger; later, with the help of an instructor, she became familiar with how the controls worked and began trying to pilot different aircraft. Until then, the idea that she could fly a plane had never occurred to her.

During this experience, she has flown two-seat Sky Arrow and Tecnam P-92 ultralight aircraft, as well as Cessna 152 and 172 planes. She has also tried the Extra EA-200 aerobatic aircraft and flown in a helicopter, although she prefers airplanes.

Lucia began holding the controls for increasingly longer periods, until an instructor determined that she could do more. Together, they developed a method based on touch, which helps her understand the aircraft’s position and read the instruments. In this way, she learned what actions needed to be carried out and at what moment. The instructor always remains beside her and, as Lucia puts it, is her “eyes.”

Her experience has also been recounted in her autobiography, “Volando nell’invisibile” (“Flying in the Invisible”). Recently, Lucia visited the Air Traffic Control Tower at Rome-Fiumicino Airport for the first time. There, she gained firsthand knowledge of the controllers’ work and the technologies used to manage flights.

Italy’s Minister for Disability, Alessandra Locatelli, also took part in the visit. The event was supported by ANACNA, the National Association of Air Navigation Assistants and Controllers. Lucia was welcomed by ENAV President Sandro Pappalardo and the head of the Control Tower, Aldo Crisafulli.

Locatelli described her story as evidence of passion, determination and freedom. According to the minister, above all, it is a call to overcome the prejudices and cultural barriers that can still limit the opportunities available to people with disabilities. Lucia’s journey shows the role that passion, perseverance and the right support can play in overcoming the limitations that society often places on these people.