Return Flight program (The only program and training in the world right here in Colorado)... provides helicopter flight training to paraplegics and the spinal cord injured community. There is a large demand of those with limited or no use of legs who desire to fly helicopters. Return Flight provides the only source for these pilots to get training and experience need to participate in rotorcraft flight.
TYJ Global has been approached by the Construction Industry HCA Heavy Construction Academy-Military Education Advisor to develop a system aimed to help paraplegic, amputee's to operate heavy construction machinery-currently we are in the process of developing the two systems to be fitted for Loader, and Excavator. This system will be for generations to come for Veterans, amputees to return to the industry.
The Return FLight Campus is 130 acres here in Colorado. Return Flight is aiming to raise financial funds through our Return Flight Golf Ball Drop for viewers and listeners to participate to support the Return Flight Program on our website:www.returnflightballdrop.com
TYJ Global and the Return Flight program has the support of Colorado State Governor John Hickenlooper and Homeland Security.
TYJ Global is a First Responder to deliver Aid in times of Disaster and own times of hardship,..we can respond independently, strategically provide a standardized platform for coordinating efforts between joint tasks force and the various interagency, non-governmental organization, international response with efficiency. TYJ Global has had numerous discussions how this training facility will honor Military Service Members and Law Enforcement,.. and the same time where these agencies can only sharpen each other with their skills in this training environment. What sets us aside from The outstanding various Veterans organizations is we provide the training where these veterans can still be engaged.
The Return Flight Project has had an overwhelming response Ft. Lupton Chief of Police Kenneth Poncelow, Denver PD Air One Aviation Unit Pat Cubley, Westminster SWAT, ESI security Brandon Delcamp, US Marshals, State. Department, DOD Contractors, Barrett Firearms, Magpul. Local law enforcement Agencies. These agencies will have a helicopter Aviation Asset for joint tasks forces for training. A training campus where disabled veterans can be engaged.
The Return Flight Program will be here for generations to come, innovative training for Law Enforcement Agencies as an Aviation asset, Military Service Members ,paraplegic civilians, amputees to train and be engaged here in Colorado. Financial support will help The Return Flight paraplegic students return to the industry. Large financial donations may dictate how the company support is advertised. The Return Flight Veterans wear flight suits, these flight suits can display a patch or company logo, landing pad branded with company name or logo for the training facility. Open for suggestions on other advertising.
Return Flight paraplegic pilots to fly real-world support missions to build their resumes. Return Flight will partner with local law enforcement, fire and emergency service agencies to enhance the emergency services provided to their community through aerial operations. Our mission is to provide enhanced resources that will save lives and property that would not be saved without our involvement, and to assist in emergency preparedness and risk reduction.
Our vision is to provide local and regional emergency service agencies with supplemental equipment and training in order to enhance their ability to provide superior service to the community they serve. We plan to create a synergetic effect with our community agencies that will allow them to exceed their individual capabilities.
Return Flight Campus is also dedicated to support and augmentation of education materials for the general public in life safety, fire and accident prevention with the objective of reducing loss of life, injuries, and property damage.
We will accomplish this vision by providing, specialized equipment to emergency services personnel, educational material to the general public with advanced training of emergency services personnel, dedicated services that directly benefit the community, and building regional cooperation by providing shared resources and training.
After more than 20 years as a pilot, a plane accident left Stewart McQuillan paralyzed and unable to fly.
The accident, which happened when McQuillan was in the Royal Air Force in 1988, forced him to rethink his goals as a pilot. Yet the experience also got his brain working: What if there was a device that would help disabled pilots fly again?
Captain Stewart McQuillan, who also has a background as an electrical engineer and an aerospace instructor at the U.S. Air Force Academy, answered his question by building the device himself.
That device, the HeliLeg, has added a unique training dimension to TYJ Global, a flight school based at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield. The HeliLeg has opened the door for the Return Flight program, which trains disabled civilians and veterans across the country to fly helicopters and become more competitive for jobs in the aviation industry.
"If you're disabled, your resume and skills have to really stand out above the typical pilot ... so people stop and say, 'now this guy's really doing something,'" said Mike Fyola, TYJ Global's owner and chief pilot.
Before meeting McQuillan, Fyola had been working to diversify the flight school's offerings to become more specialized in a competitive market. After hearing McQuillan's story, he felt that working with disabled pilots was an underutilized type of training.
Fyola is a combat veteran who flew Black Hawk helicopters for a few years before moving into law enforcement in Denver and Jefferson counties. Fyola still has a deep connection to military life and wanted to help veterans gain new skills and find jobs, he said.
The Return Flight program aims to address some of veterans' challenges by making quality training available using the HeliLeg technology.
Demonstrating the HeliLeg on Thursday, McQuillan adjusted the device by fitting it around his upper leg, knee and foot. He switched on the pneumatic system, then grasped a handheld controller to move his leg. With a light touch on the joystick, the HeliLeg smoothly flexed his leg and foot, as if he were pushing down the brake pedal on a car.
"It's better than using robotics, which can be jerky," he said, flexing his foot again.
The Return Flight program, which began in March, is looking for funding so it can expand. Two students are in the program now, but there are a total of 11 who are interested, he said.
If the Return Flight program can continue taking off, Fyola hopes he can move TYJ Global to an expanded campus in Frederick.
There, Fyola aims to continue the flight training programs and add a specialized training center where law enforcement, EMS and firefighters can practice safety and training maneuvers that require working with aircraft.
McQuillan and Fyola hope TYJ Global's Warrior Products Division will be the answer for funding. The Warrior Products Division, also based in Broomfield, hires injured veterans to design, test and manufacture products, such as the HeliLeg prosthetic and a device that alerts gas station attendants a disabled person has arrived at a station. Adaptive equipment for fishing and hunting also is among the things the division is working on, and recent product designs have attracted the attention of Bass Pro Shop, McQuillan said.
Employing veterans is an important part of the plan, Fyola said, because it offers a way to translate veterans' specialized skills for use in civilian life. Plus, employees have the option of working more flexible schedules to accommodate side effects from combat-related injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.
"With PTSD, people can't always work a normal schedule. We want them to know they're in a safe environment with people who know what they're going through," he said.
McQuillan hopes the program will continue reaching out to veterans and others who are disabled. Learning to fly again, McQuillan said the technology he created helped bring back the freedom he felt while in the air.
