In The Sky

Flying for the first time after your injury can be very intimidating, but if you prepare yourself and know what to do, it is a lot easier. Depending on whom you travel with, you have a few options on how you want to go about getting on the plane. The first thing the authorities would do when you check your bags is put a luggage tag on your chair. You will then go through security. You will be asked if you want to be checked in a private area or out in the open. I’ve always done out in the open, the search is general. They will check your chair, arms, and legs. They also will ask you to lean forward; this can be tricky depending on the level of your injury. I just let them know what I can and can’t do before the search starts so they know when we get to that point.

After you get through security and go to the gate its always a good idea to talk to the workers at your gate. If you tell them your situation, they normally let you on first which allows you to get the seats in bulkhead, which has a lot more room and is easier when transferring. My chair is small enough for me to back up next to the seats; I then have people do a two-person lift onto the seat. The other option is to transfer onto the aisle chair before you board the plane. It allows you to fit down the aisle, which then allows you to choose what seat you would like. To make it more comfortable I always sit on my seat cushion. Keeping your skin healthy is always important and your seat cushion is always the best option.

The flight attendants will take your chair after you transfer and it will be put with the rest of the luggage. Before they do I remove anything that can be lost. You will be the last one to get off of the plane, they will either bring the aisle chair or your chair, and you will then transfer back into it.