THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507160051
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY CATHERINE KOZAK, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
For at least 110 deaf people, even the sky is not the limit.
The International Deaf Pilots Association held its second annual ``Fly-In'' this weekend on the Outer Banks, revisiting the spirit of aviation in the land where flight began.
``Basically, I was born with wings,'' said IDPA treasurer Joe Stevens, who was recently transferred from Norfolk to Florida by his employer, the Naval Aviation Depot. Stevens was steeped in aviation early on, helping out at the family business at now-defunct South Norfolk Airport in Chesapeake in exchange for fly-time.
Friends of his father ``spoiled me,'' Stevens said through interpreter Kimberly Stefani. ``They took me up a lot.'' Often enough that Stevens, who has been deaf since age 5, was behind the controls at 12, as soon as his feet could touch the rudders.
Stevens was one of the IDPA members who flew this week to Dare County Airport in Manteo, one of the 18,000 airports nationwide that do not require radio contact with the control tower.
Airport manager Tim Gaylord admitted that at first, he was a little skeptical. ``I'd never heard of them before,'' he said of the IDPA. But after observing the pilots' skills, he walked away with the impression that overall, the group was more proficient than the average pilot.
``To me, they are extremely safe because they observe more than the normal pilot, `` Gaylord said. ``They always seemed to work their way into the pattern with no problem at all.''
Safe aviation is not as dependent on radio communication as is commonly assumed. In fact, said Gaylord, only about 600 airports in the United States require pilot contact with the tower. Dependence on radios is a modern advantage that helps fliers, but does not overshadow expertise. Pioneering pilots Calbraith Perry Rodgers in 1911 and Rhulin Thomas in 1947 were both deaf or near-deaf and flew coast-to-coast.
As Stevens spoke through sign language to a roomful of deaf pilots and their families at the Manteo campus of the College of the Albemarle on Friday, it was apparent that deafness hones an acute sense of observation and expressiveness.
Stevens' tales of flying mishaps and adventures were not just told; they were virtually duplicated physically as he related the stories: he staggered from a ditch, he struggled with a handprop, he bled after an accident. Stefani's unfaltering interpretation accompanied his rapid-fire signing, together creating an illustrated narrative for a hearing observer, rather than the usual one-dimensional speech.
Clyde C. Smith, IDPA president, said the fledgling organization has grown steadily since its inception last year, from 35 members originally to more than 100 members in the United States and Western Europe. The first fly-in last July was held in Knoxville, Tenn., partly because a convention of the National Association for the Deaf was meeting nearby.
Although he said the intent of the organization was to protect the rights of deaf pilots, its formation wasn't prompted by conflicts with the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates flying. ``We haven't had any problems; we just want to safeguard our people,'' he said.
``I felt that deaf pilots need to be involved with an organization because we need help,'' said Becky Center, who was an IDPA founding member along with Smith and Stevens. ``We need to learn a lot more about each other and get feedback from each other.''
Center has been a pilot for 10 years.
Smith said the group is keeping a close eye on FAA regulations related to technological advances in aviation. He said it may soon be possible to coordinate a TTY (teletype system for the hearing-impaired) with the FAA that can be used on a radio.
But even as it is now, flying deaf is only slightly different than flying with hearing, Smith said. ``There's audible controls we can't use, like commands from the tower,'' he said. Once on the ground, hand signals work fine.
Airports have no idea beforehand that the pilot is deaf, but Smith added he does have a radio in his plane for when he's flying with a hearing co-pilot.
But the IDPA may be more about the craft of flying than the difficulties of deafness, serving as vehicle for fliers to readily share their love of aviation. As Stevens advised the pilots: ``Anytime you see an airplane operated improperly, go up to that person and stop him, even if they have an attitude.'' by CNB