By Garth Calitz

Werner Nel believed his flying career was over after a severe motorbike accident in 2009, where he lost his left leg above the knee. Rather than accepting this as his fate, Werner became even more determined to fulfill his childhood dream of flying aerobatics.

Werner was raised in an aviation environment, as his father was a pilot with South African Airways and also owned and served as the chief flying instructor at the Pretoria Flying School. Sadly, before Werner began his flight training, his father died in an aircraft accident while flying in the Congo. At seventeen, Werner started his training, earning his private pilot’s license (PPL) in 2007, and promptly began working towards his commercial pilot’s license (CPL).

Werner's advancement on his CPL came to a sudden stop on October 7, 2009, when he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident, another passion of his. His left leg was badly injured and required amputation. During his hospital stay, Werner resolved to return to flying as soon as possible. This determination to fly motivated him to persevere through the challenging period as he adapted to his new situation.

A close friend gave Werner a Teddy Bear during his time in intensive care, and at that moment, no one realized the significant impact that small bear would have. This led to the creation of "Flying Bear," a non-profit organization inspired by the teddy bear. Werner's aspiration to help young amputees lead happy and successful lives, pursuing any path they desire, became a reality.

Werner continued his CPL training once he received a prosthetic leg, although finding an instructor open to training an amputee was somewhat challenging. Jason Alexander was the one who ultimately helped him return to flying.

After Werner finished his CPL and instructor's rating, he faced the common challenge that many young commercial pilots encounter: insufficient flight hours for employment and no way to accumulate hours without securing a flying job. Luckily, Werner received crucial support first from Jannie Loutzies at Loutzavia and later from Dave Naude at Light Sport Aviation, both of whom offered him a position as a Grade 3 instructor. Werner's determination to advance led him to acquire ratings on various aircraft, and he never missed an opportunity to fly, regardless of the circumstances or location.

The dream of flying aerobatics never diminished; in fact, it turned into an obsession, prompting Werner to research aircraft to find the best fit for him. After extensive investigation, it became evident that the Russian Yak 52 was the ideal choice to begin his aerobatic career. As a nose wheel aircraft with hand-operated brakes, it perfectly matched his needs. Werner acquired a one-third share in a Yak 52 and soon began training with the assistance of Neville Ferreira, Gary Gleeson, and Bertus du Preez.

Driven by ambition, Werner chose to challenge himself by participating in the National Aerobatics Championships in 2016, advancing from the Graduate to the Sportsman Class at the Nationals. Captivated by aerobatics, Werner began searching for a high-performance aerobatic aircraft. Upon hearing about a Zlin 50 for sale, Neville Ferreira informed Werner, who promptly acquired it.

Werner entirely dismantled the Zlin, rebuilding it from the undercarriage up to ensure it was flawless. Before he could consider flying the aircraft, Werner needed to obtain a taildragger rating, a challenging task for many skilled pilots. Gary Whitecross from Air Play Aviation offered Werner the chance to practice in his Lombada touring motor glider. Gary acknowledged that Werner performed better than most able-bodied pilots on the taildragger.

Werner, who has a Taildragger rating, contacted Johan Lock from War Birds at Wonderboom Airport to get certified on the Atlas Angel, primarily used for skydiving operations. Werner now serves as an active skydive pilot for the Atlas Trust in Witbank and Klerksdorp.

Werner is now focused on becoming the first amputee pilot to perform aerobatic displays at the airshow, aiming to gain attention for "The Flying Bear" initiative. Through this, he hopes to inspire others to overcome their challenges and achieve greatness.

#FlyingBear #Amputeepilot #aerobatics