From the Queen Elizabeth Foundation (QEF)
https://qef.org.uk/tryb4ufly
Flying can be a daunting prospect for many people, as it’s a very difficult environment to test and try out before committing to a flight. QEF’s Tryb4uFly assessment service aims to empower disabled people, so you can make informed choices and be more confident when flying.
Our assessment service has been developed so that each person can pick and choose the parts of the service that suit your needs best. We have some free resources available, which we would also recommend accessing before attending any appointment.
Tryb4uFly appointments are provided by an expert team and offer the opportunity to speak to a trained professional about your individual requirements and discuss the options available, so that you can feel confident and comfortable travelling by air. QEF also offers the opportunity to hire a range of equipment for your flight.
Free resources
We encourage you to watch our Flight Video Guides which show you every aspect of a journey by air as a powered wheelchair user, from arriving at the airport, to check-in, security, boarding, disembarking and baggage reclaim.
We also have a downloadable checklist to help you research your planned journey
Tryb4uFly Appointments
“They were amazing absolutely brilliant and nothing was too much trouble.”
Appointments have been divided into consultations, to discuss your requirements through each step of the process of flying, and assessments, to provide clinical opinion on managing the cabin environment. You may decide that you wish to book one or other of these appointments, or both. Regardless, please complete the application form to book your appointment.
Download the QEF Tryb4uFly Application Form
Tryb4uFly Appointment – Consultations
A trained member of staff will be able to talk you through the door-to-door process of flying with a disability, from your home to your destination. These appointments can be done in person or remotely, via video or telephone call. In the appointment you will discuss:
– Booking your flight
– Arriving at the airport
– Baggage
– Navigating security
– Boarding the airplane
– Wheelchairs and mobility aids
– Medication
– Oxygen
– Feeding
– Continence
– Connecting flights
Following this consultation, you will be provided with a report which highlights everything discussed and specific, personal recommendations for you to follow up with the airline you are flying with.
Tryb4uFly Appointment – Cabin Assessments
A qualified health professional will be able facilitate the use of our air fuselage to uniquely recreate the cabin environment; this will ensure a realistic assessment of mobility, transfers and seating so that we can plan for your optimal comfort when on the airplane. The appointment is expected to last around 45minutes. We have a range of equipment available for assessment including:
– Aisle chair
– ProMove slings
– Burnette cushions
– Stabilo cushions
– Crelling harness
– MERU TravelChair
– TravelSnug
– CARES harness
– EasyTravelseat
– BodyPoint straps
– We can also provide a mobile hoist to aid with transfers.
We will discuss how you access the air fuselage from outside of the plane, how you navigate once inside the cabin, how best to get in and out of the airplane seat and optimal support for your postural needs in the seat. Following this assessment, you will be provided with a report which details the equipment discussed, demonstrated and trialled, and the decision made about how best to manage the cabin environment.
Tryb4uFly Equipment Hire
“I don’t know how we would have managed without it” – Tamara hired a MERU TravelChair for her journey to Canada with her 7-year-old son who has Cerebral Palsy.
Taking your own equipment is a practical way of making your flight more comfortable however some equipment can be expensive to purchase for a single journey. At QEF, as part of our Tryb4uFly service, we hire equipment that you have had the chance to trial at your assessment, so you can take it with you and have a cost-effective solution to your travel needs. Please always check any equipment you plan to take with your airline.
We can courier our hire equipment within the UK and aim to arrange the couriers a few days either side of your flights. You can also collect and drop off the hire equipment for free from the QEF Mobility Centre.
For more information on the equipment items, cost and to arrange hire please complete and return the hire form.
QEF Tryb4uFly Centres
Tryb4uFly appointments are available at 3 locations across England:
– QEF Mobility Services in Carshalton – South London,
– The William Merritt Disabled Living Centre in Rodley, Leeds
– Regional Driving Assessment Centre in Hampton in Arden, Solihul.
For more information call 020 8770 1151 or email mobility@qef.org.uk and we will also be able to provide you with up to date prices.