Beth Long & Sqn Ldr Mark ‘Suggs’ Sugden from the Mark Long trust | ADHD Beyond the Label

Do you dream of flying?

Of becoming an aviator?

If you’re diagnosed with ADHD, that dream could be effectively over. The door is probably firmly closed.

And if you’re a young person with that ambition and later receive a diagnosis, it’s closed before you even get a chance to try. It’s far too difficult to overcome the stigma.

ADHD is classed as a disability in this context, and the system still appears to treat it as an automatic disqualifier.

Which raises a bigger question. How many incredible aviators are already flying with ADHD, undiagnosed or unsupported, because seeking a diagnosis would end their careers?

How many feel they can’t be honest about their own neurodiversity?

That feels archaic given what we now understand about ADHD, focus, performance, and capability.

On the next episode of ADHD: Beyond the Label, Dr Phil Anderton PhD and John Reynolds are joined by Beth Long and Squadron Leader Mark “Suggs” Sugden from the Mark Long Trust.

After BBMF fighter pilot Squadron Leader Mark Long tragically lost his life in the crash of Spitfire Mk356 on 25th May 2024, his widow Beth and family established the Mark Long Trust.

His legacy now lives on through flying scholarships and access to aviation delivered in partnership with organisations like Flying Scholarship for Disabled People, opening doors that were previously closed.

This episode isn’t just about aviation. It’s about fairness. About outdated systems and dated thinking. And about whether we are brave enough to rethink what “capable” really means.

Some doors shouldn’t be closed by a label.