RICCI FAMILY FOUNDATION REPURPOSES TRAINING AIRCRAFT AND DONATES PROCEEDS TO ABLE FLIGHT

A specially adapted aircraft designed for pilots with physical disabilities will be acquired by an Able Flight graduate to help introduce new pilots with disabilities to aviation

Cleveland, Nov. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (Nov. 24, 2025) – The Ricci Family Foundation, today announced it will donate and match the proceeds from the sale of a Sky Arrow aircraft. Adapted to enable people with physical disabilities to become pilots, the aircraft’s buyer is a pilot who learned to fly in it through the Able Flight Program and will use it to help more people with disabilities discover aviation.

The Ricci Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by aviation entrepreneur Kenn Ricci, and administrated with his wife, Pamela and children, Austin, Kennedy and Elizabeth; loaned the Sky Arrow sport plane to Able Flight in 2015. Founded in 2006, Able Flight is a nonprofit organization that provides individuals with disabilities, including many military veterans, the opportunity to challenge themselves through flight and aviation career training. As the program evolved, the Sky Arrow aircraft was phased out of the curriculum but remained beloved by those who received their training in it.

Today, the aircraft was officially transferred to Samuel Mahoney. After losing the ability to use his legs after a fall, Mahoney learned to fly through the Able Flight program and is a 2019 graduate. The Ricci Family Foundation will subsequently allocate the proceeds from the sale to Able Flight and match the contribution, further advancing the organization’s mission.

To date, more than 100 students have become pilots through the Able Flight’s specially adapted three-aircraft fleet. Some have gone on to achieve successful careers in the aviation industry, including roles such as airline dispatchers and helicopter EMS pilots.

“When I began my own aviation journey decades ago, it quickly became clear to me that flying is most magical when shared with others. Supporting Able Flight takes this a step further by empowering individuals with disabilities to achieve their dreams of flight,” said Kenn Ricci, Chairman of Flexjet, a global leader in private aviation. “Whether enjoying flying as a hobby or pursuing a professional pilot career, we are all united in our passion for aviation.”

Mahoney will base the Sky Arrow at his home airfield near Green Bay, Wis. In addition to pleasure flying, he has committed to continue the Able Flight mission on a grassroots level, introducing others with physical disabilities through immersive in-person experiences at his local airfield as well as at various events in the Midwest such as EAA AirVenture.

“Through this singular action, Samuel has both strengthened Able Flight’s impact and set this aircraft back on course, serving as a gateway to aviation for those with disabilities,” explained Elizabeth K. Ricci, Chief Executive Officer of aircraft management organizations Corporate Wings and Sirio and a member of the Ricci Family Foundation board.

The Sky Arrow is equipped with special flight controls that enable pilots to control the aircraft entirely with their hands. Its predictable, forgiving handling characteristics and panoramic visibility provide an ideal training platform. A modern light aircraft with a 124-mph cruise speed and 600 nm range, the Sky Arrow is economical to fly and provides its two occupants with panoramic visibility from the wraparound canopy.

“Flying gives me a feeling of freedom,” said Mahoney, who trained in the very aircraft he now owns.

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About the Ricci Family Foundation

Under the stewardship of its founder and president, aviation entrepreneur Kenneth Ricci, Chairman of Flexjet, Inc., the Ricci Family Foundation is a charitable organization focused on philanthropy, voluntarism and grant-making to a wide range of worthy causes.

About Able Flight

Able Flight is a national aviation nonprofit providing flight training and aviation career training scholarships for people with disabilities and is the only one of its kind in the United States. Able Flight was founded in 2006, and as of July 2025, it has awarded over 130 flight training and aviation career training scholarships. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by the generous donations and sponsorships of individuals, foundations and corporations. In July of 2025, Able Flight announced that Southern Illinois University-Carbondale will be the full-time home for the program, and that a campaign has begun to fund an endowment for this unique mission. For more information, please visit www.ableflight.org

Attachments

Susan Ruiz Patton
Flexjet
2163339526
susan.ruiz.patton@flexjet.com

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