Meet Martin

example graphicBecause Martin Lloyd has seen life from both in and out of a wheelchair, he is in a unique position to discuss the different ways that able-bodied and less able-bodied people see things. Of course, before the motorcycle accident that claimed his right leg, Martin Lloyd led a very different life.

After graduating from high school, Martin joined the British Royal Air Force and flew many different types of aircraft from bases throughout the U.K., Europe, and North America. He additionally served in the Persian Gulf. After 14 years, he left the Royal Air Force but not his love of flying. Ultimately, Martin gained his commercial flying license and fulfilled his boyhood ambition of becoming an airline pilot. He flew as a First Officer for one of British Airway's franchise airlines for just over a year before his life changed forever.

The motorcycle crash sent Martin into a ten day battle for his life, involving multiple operations with metalwork to fix broken bones and at least 5 complete blood transfusions. He lost a whole month of memory, his entire right leg and was left permanently disfigured. At the time of his motorcycle crash, Martin had a dream job, a wife, three teenage step-children, two Great Danes, two cars and a mortgage, but the sudden lifestyle change ended his flying career and eventually, his marriage. In addition, he lost all of his vehicle operation licenses, including all of his hard-earned pilot licenses.

Would you have been able to recover from such circumstances? Well, Martin did. He took courage and inspiration from his all-time hero, the World War Two flying ace Sir Douglas Bader, who lost his legs in a 1931 flying crash. This inspiration sustained Martin throughout his 3 month hospital stay. Not long after Martin's release from the hospital, he was approached by a charity that Sir Douglas Bader had set up while he was still alive, promoting the return of handicapped fliers to the cockpit. Under their auspices, Martin traveled to California to learn to fly with his new physicality and was successful in being awarded a Federal Aviation Authority private pilot's license and instrument rating.

Today, Martin Lloyd speaks candidly about the accident and how he dealt with the difficult times that followed and his later aviation successes. With his jewel-gift sense of humor, Martin brings listeners his inspirational outlook and continues to delight and educate audiences everywhere.