Visually impaired woman in Italy logs over 200 hours of flight time

56-year-old Italian Lucia Sabrina Papa, despite being born blind, has learned to pilot an aircraft and accumulated over 200 hours of flight experience. She is recognized as the country's first blind student pilot.

Sabrina has been fascinated by airplanes since childhood. As a young girl, she would listen to the sound of planes flying over the military airport near her home and dream of soaring in the sky. However, due to her lack of vision, she could not even imagine that this dream could become a reality.

In 2016, she connected with organizations that help people with disabilities engage in aviation and began flight training. Initially, she flew as a passenger, but later mastered the control systems with the help of an instructor.

During training, Sabrina and her instructor developed a special tactile method. The instructor explains the aircraft's status through physical cues and reads the instrument readings aloud. In this way, she learned the necessary maneuvers to control the plane.

In addition to ultralight aircraft such as the Sky Arrow and Tecnam P-92, she has also flown the Cessna 152, Cessna 172, and the Extra EA-200 aerobatic plane. However, Sabrina does not yet hold a private pilot's license, and all her flights are conducted with an instructor on board, who remains ready to take control if necessary.

In December 2024, she published a book about her life and flight experiences titled «Volando nell'invisibile» ("Flying in the Invisible"). In it, she recounts her passion for aviation, the challenges she faced during training, and her journey toward fulfilling her dream.

In November 2026, Sabrina also visited the control tower at Fiumicino Airport in Rome. There, she learned about the work of air traffic controllers and the technologies used to ensure flight safety.