Twenty-two-year-old Hayden McDonald was in Broken Hill on Thursday as part of his inspiring solo circumnavigation of the country – the first of its kind attempted by a pilot with autism.
Departing for the two-month trip on September 8 from his hometown of Esperance on the south coast of Western Australia in a small Jabiru J120 light aircraft, Mr McDonald hopes the journey into schools and communities along the way will demonstrate his flying ability and bring an understanding and acceptance towards autism.
“I detest the use of awareness because it has been used to undermine the autistic community. That’s why I stress understanding and acceptance; understanding what we go through and accepting who we are,” he told the Barrier Truth.
Mr McDonald began planning this solo mission 18 months ago, inspired by the story of Bob Bramley, who in 2018 set out to become the youngest person to fly around Australia alone. He says it was a thrilling feeling when he first took off.
“On the first day, I was doubting myself, I was overthinking. But we train for these moments, we train to be prepared if the engine quits and all that stuff,” he outlined.
“As my papa said, aviation is 99 per cent boredom, one per cent sheer terror. I know it’s contradictory to the passion of mine, but realistically, you’ve got to be ready for that one per cent of sheer terror.
“Once I got going, I was running on a high and running on adrenaline, telling myself to focus, get the job done and have fun while I’m doing it.”
Mr McDonald’s love for aviation began when he was young and would fly with his grandfather before the fondness grew and he took to the cockpit himself at the age of 15. Two years later he obtained a recreational pilot’s certificate.
However, his aviation dream of working with the Royal Flying Doctor Service was shattered when the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) denied him a medical because of his neurodivergence. It was a decision that left him upset as CASA appeared more focused on ‘what-ifs’ rather than the ability of the individual.
“Aviation has made me belong somewhere because I haven’t got anywhere to fit in back at home. It’s a small community. It’s hard to find somewhere to fit in for me because I was raised in a neurotypical way with some neurodiverse aspects so it’s kind of tricky to find someone for me to fit in”, he declared.
As a result, Mr McDonald started to document his passion for aviation and promoting real inclusion for people on the spectrum with a vlog, Wings Without Barriers, though it quickly became much more: autistic self-advocacy.
“Aviation has made me belong somewhere because I haven’t got anywhere to fit in back at home.”
“Basically, as an autistic person, we advocate for ourselves in the autistic community. If a neurotypical person does it, it’s just normal advocacy. We want autistic voices to take over that,” he says.
“I’m not saying what the neurotypicals are doing is wrong, it’s more like it’s what they think they know and presumptions. We are the source of information. Autism is a spectrum for a reason. This is why I want to move more from the medical model to a social model which uses practical solutions for that person that fits in that moment.”
Mr McDonald hopes across the 28 towns he’ll stop to visit, he’ll understand how autism is seen in different ways in schools and communities, what their approach is, and to give hope to the autistic community.
“If it changes an autistic person’s view that they’re not a burden, that starts a butterfly effect. I want to cause multiple butterfly effects,” he says.
“We’re moving towards a more neurodiverse-friendly future but we’re not there yet. There are people that are very stubborn in their own neurotypical ways that puts neurotypical standards on us, which does not work because it doesn’t take into consideration the person’s needs. I say it all the time: one size does not fit all when it comes to autism.”
Mr McDonald hopes for anyone living with autism who has any fear about their status to achieve the heights they want in their own field, sector, or interest, he can change those ideals not only for those on the autism spectrum, but the wider community.
“For the autistic pilots who have concerns, do not use my experience as a worry. If we work together, we might be able to create a more neurodiverse-friendly future in the aviation side of things,” he said.
“For employees, please just be more flexible with your expectations for the neurodiverse. By placing neurotypical standards, you will set that person up to fail. If you [as an autistic person] haven’t got opportunities, make one.”
Mr McDonald made his way to Mildura on Friday morning, then Warracknabeal, before heading into New South Wales once again, moving up into Queensland, the Northern Territory, and back into Western Australia.
To follow his journey, follow Wings Without Barriers on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
