Stunt pilot Glenn Collins has returned home after being discharged from a rehabilitation facility, eight months after a plane crash at the Avalon Airshow near Geelong in March. The experienced pilot from Paul Bennet Airshows suffered spinal injuries when his aircraft crashed a few hundred metres from spectators during a four-plane demonstration.
Mr Collins spent five weeks in a Melbourne hospital before being transferred to Sydney to be closer to family in the Hunter region of New South Wales. In a social media post, he described the next stage of his life as daunting, facing challenges such as ensuring his home accommodates his wheelchair and adjusting to a new social life without immediate medical support.
Despite being classified as a full paraplegic, Mr Collins said he had been able to take a few steps before his latest surgery and is working towards reaching that level again. He noted that recent surgeries have put him back to non-weight bearing on his left leg, but prior to that he was walking short distances on crutches and even managed a few shaky steps without aids.
Mr Collins said he faces a long road but believes he will return to walking without crutches. He hopes sharing his story will educate others about the lifelong changes spinal injuries cause, highlighting the daily routines and reliance on specialists that many are unaware of. He had more than 2,700 hours of flying experience before the crash, according to the Paul Bennet Airshows website.
