THE sky's the limit for disabled man Martin Grinsted.

Mr Grinsted, 46, of Hanging Langford, has been awarded the opportunity to learn to fly through the charity Flying Scholarships for the Disabled.

After passing a series of aptitude tests, medicals and interviews at RAF Cranwell, the teacher, who works at Avon Valley College in Durrington, was selected to travel to South Africa.

There, he will undertake a 40-hour flight-training course at the 43rd School of Flying in Port Alfred. Mr Grinsted said: "Learning to fly was always an ambition of mine, but not something I thought I would get the chance to do.

"I'm very excited and hope to work hard to get my private pilot's licence, so that I can continue flying when I return."

The charity says it hopes to help disabled people regain both their confidence and self-esteem through undergoing the personal challenge of learning to fly a light aircraft.

Mr Grinstead was paralysed in a scuba-diving accident off the coast of Swanage in 1989, when unexplained decompression sickness left him unable to walk.

Although he has regained some mobility, he still needs to use crutches.

"I hope to be able to fly a plane without modifications," he said.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for me to fulfil what is a lifelong ambition."