Wheelchair-bound man teaches aviation class
April 30, 2010, 03:40 am
In some ways, Errett Bozarth's accident in 1989 left the flier grounded. However, the man who spent 20 years in the air has found a new way to soar.
This semester, Bozarth taught a course on turbine aircraft systems at Indiana State University. Doing so gave him the chance to reconnect with aviation after a car accident left him in a wheelchair.
Prior to that accident, Bozarth spent time as a commissioned aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps. He also flew as a civilian pilot while being employed with American Airlines.
Given that background, it's no wonder that Bozarth, 60, found it a bit difficult to adjust to life in a wheelchair.
"It was a high-energy lifestyle and you didn't sit around a lot waiting for things to get done," he said, according to a press release from the university. "But when you become primarily dependent on other people, you either learn some patience or you drive yourself crazy."
While Bozarth gets the chance to rejoin his old career through teaching, other efforts are being made to educate the pilots and air technicians that will serve the country in the future. For example, the National Flight Academy in Pensacola, Florida, is slated to be open in 2012 with the goal of using aviation as a way to improve math, engineering and science skills in young people.
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