Flight Lieutenant (FLTLT) Nathan Nguyen sustained a service injury in 2017 while working at the Adelaide Air Show, when a 65kg camera fell from a static plane and struck him on the head and neck, the impact causing a carotid artery dissection and a life-altering stroke.
Six years on the 36-year-old engineering officer embodies the Air Force motto "Through Struggle to the Stars", learning how to talk and walk again, supported by his wife and carer Kerrie, as well as resuming his military career and becoming a Dad to two-year old son Arthur.
While he might be used to working on faster jets, FLTLT Nguyen said the experience of stepping back in aviation history, supported by new technology, was too good to pass up and he was pleased to put the simulators through their paces.
"A vintage warbird like the Spitfire has a certain allure to it and I'm sure most, if not everyone in the general public, has heard of a Spitfire so being able to experience the sensation of flying one is absolutely a boon to the aviation museum," FLTLT Nguyen said.
"I was impressed by the realistic nature of the simulators and being able to replicate the motion of flying, while at the same time being accessible enough that people living with disability like myself can participate, that's such an invaluable thing."
Nathan's wife Kerrie documents the young family's journey through their lnstagram account @afterstroke, and the pair are pleased to see more and more opportunities on offer for people with disability.
"I think the world's becoming more and more aware of the importance of inclusivity to ensure that people living with disability feel like they're part of the community and able to partake in the same experiences others take for granted," FLTLT Nguyen said.
These simulators are the first of their type in Australia and Museum Director Peter Harper said he couldn't be more excited to see the results of the project which has been two years in the making.
“I was impressed by the realistic nature of the simulators and being able to replicate the motion of flying, while at the same time being accessible enough that people living with disability like myself can participate, that's such an invaluable thing.”Flight Lieutenant Nathan Nguyen.
Mr Harper hopes the technology will help make the museum more attractive to younger audiences, as well as making the joy of flight available to people who never thought it would be possible.
"We've wanted simulators here in the museum for many, many years and to see Nathan in it today it's a bit of a realisation of all the hard work that's gone into it, so many hands have touched this project," Mr Harper said.
"I think the experience will appeal to a very broad cross-section of the community, from pilots who haven't flown for many years to current pilots who just want to fly everything, down to someone who's never flown before - these simulators are designed to be flown by anyone."
lnvictus Australia has been working with the Nguyen family since Nathan's accident and Regional Manager Veteran Engagement for Southern NSW/ACT Debbie Dimmack said it's wonderful to see veterans being able to access and enjoy regional attractions.
It's so good to see that this experience today really can be totally inclusive for people with a disability, there are so many adaptive elements," Ms Dimmack said.
Department of Regional NSW Director Inclusive Infrastructure and Experience Paul Nunnari said it's wonderful to see the museum growing its offerings to attract even more visitors to the Riverina.
"This is one of many accessibility projects we've supported right across regional NSW, and making sure that wonderful tourism experiences like the Temora Aviation Museum are accessible to all is something I'm really proud of," Mr Nunnari said.
The simulators include a Spitfire, P40 Kittyhawk and P51 Mustang, all with the option of a wheelchair lift system and demonstration mode for users who can't take the controls.
The simulators complement the museum's self-guided audio tour where visitors can use hand-held wands or a mobile app to pace their own exploration of the hangers and historic aircraft.
The warbird simulators and self-guided audio tour upgrades at the Temora Aviation Museum have been made possible through support from the NSW Government.
Simulator sessions will go for one hour and include briefings and flying time, bookings can be made through the Temora Aviation Museum website.
For more information, go to: aviationmuseum.com.au/simulators
