Tag Archives: matt pirrello

Injured ROTC Cadet sets Sights on Pilot Training

Matt Pirrello, an ROTC cadet at Ohio University, lost his right leg mid-thigh in a parachuting accident at the US Air Force Academy 18 months ago.

He still wants to be a pilot, but he understands the hurdles in his way.

“If you’re in the Air Force when you’re hurt, it’s a matter of retention,” he said. “If you’re not in the Air Force, it’s a matter of whether they will accept you despite your injuries.”

Others have flown with prosthetic legs Read more

Cadet Amputee Still Dreams of Flying

ROTC Cadet Matt Pirrello lost his leg in a jump accident at the US Air Force Academy last year. He has been making a fairly rapid recovery at Brooke Army Medical Center, and still has hopes of flying, though he remains open to both possibilities and restrictions:

Pirrello had hoped to become a fighter pilot; now, he just wants to be a pilot. He’s even open to flying a remotely piloted aircraft.

The Air Force recently announced that a pilot training student who lost part of his leg in a boating accident had been reinstated into training — the first amputee ever to continue pilot training.  Pirrello’s injuries were more severe, and he has yet to be commissioned, but with his determination to serve, he may yet see his dreams fulfilled.