Pilot for a Day - Pilot for a lifetime

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Katie Spencer
  • 459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. --  Most little kids have dreams as to what they would like to be when they get older. Some dream of being a teacher when they will mold the minds of the future, while others choose the more dangerous routes of putting out fires or catching bad guys.

For 8-year-old Darion Thorne from Waldorf, Md., his dream is to be a pilot. Darion doesn't let anything stop him; not even a terminal disease.

On Sept. 11, 2011, Darion was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, which is a tumor on the brain stem. The average survival of children diagnosed with DIPG is approximately nine months, and the one-year survival rate is about 30 percent and the two- year rate is less than 10 percent, according to a website for DIPG patients, www.riahsrainbow.org .

Understanding the importance of how everyday counts, members from Joint Base Andrews, Md., made Darion's dream come true with a Pilot for a Day program, April 26.

The program started in the 1990s at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas and began in 2005 at JBA known as P4D, the Pilot for the Day program, and is designed to give terminally ill children the opportunity to live out their dreams for a day and for their families to enjoy time outside the challenges of everyday living. The staff from Children's National Medical Center, Washington D.C., chooses the kids to participate in the program.

"The Pilot for a Day program has grown into a joint effort with all units on base and outside organizations," said Lt. Col. Rob Balzano, 201st Operations Support Flight commander and P4D lead coordinator. "It gives us, as military members, a chance to give back to the community and show our appreciation for their support."

Darion's dream come true day began with his initiation into the P4D at the 459th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron's auditorium with his initiation into the P4D by taking an oath of office by a crowd standing at attention. He was given a flight suit, a flight bag, and the proper insignia to ensure he was in proper uniform regulations.

"The uniform and all the insignia are exactly what official aircrew members wear and were donated from the same place they receive their uniforms," said Maj. Kara Sandifur, 459th Operations Group executive officer and P4D coordinator. "We made Darion the highest ranking person on base- by making him a pilot for a day, it is important to dress the part."

1st Lt. Brandon Splawn, a 201st Airlift Squadron mission pilot, is Darion's wingman and pilot for life and took him to experience all the different JBA units. They rode in an F-16 fighter jet simulator and sat in a parachute harness at the 121st Fighter Squadron, toured a KC-135 at the 459th ARW, received a military working dog demonstration by the 11th Wing Security Forces Squadron, ate lunch on a C-40 aircraft, which is used to transport the First Lady of the United States, shot water out of water cannons off the fire truck, and he even got to call the tower to request clearance as they taxied onto the runway in a C-30 aircraft operated by the 201st AS.

"Darion's favorite part was the flight simulator," said Teila Thorne-Butler, Darion's mom. "His second favorite part was watching his favorite movie, Despicable Me with his favorite foods inside the plane."

After all the stops of the day, Darion, Splawn and the family headed back to the 459th ARW for a special ceremony.

Commanders and other representatives from all attended the ceremony where they saw a slide-show of Darion's whirlwind day and presented him with coins, t-shirts, model aircraft, a fire-fighter helmet, and other items from the units.

"Today has been unbelievable," said Thorne-Butler. "These kids need to experience all sorts of life and it is important they see how special they are to a lot of people."

In addition to the gifts from the units, a $500 check was donated to Darion's family on behalf of the Check 6 Foundation.

The Check 6 Foundation is a non-profit organization started by Balzano to help raise funds and awareness for the P4D program as well as the Veterans Wingman program. Funds are used to aid terminally ill kids and their families by helping with bills or other hardships. For more information on the Check 6 Foundation, visit www.check6.org

"Check six is a pilot term which means check your six o'clock, or, check behind you," said Balzano. "It is a term with an underlying meaning of 'I got your back' and the foundation does exactly that- we support these kids and families and try to help them."

Just because the day is over, does not mean Darion is forgotten.

Each year the program has a P4D reunion at the Joint Service Open House and all the previous kids who are able to attend are invited with their families and re-unite with their pilot.

"These kids aren't just a pilot for a day, they are a pilot for life," said Splawn. "I look forward to keeping in touch with Darion and his family. It is always nice to make people smile by showing them what you do every day especially to kids who experience difficulties most children do not have to go through."

The P4D program occurs twice a year- once in the spring and once in the fall; and, Darion is the 13th pilot to take the oath. As the program is focused on children who are terminally ill, it has lost three pilots due to their illnesses.

"There was a 13-year-old boy, Zach, who participated with the Pilot for a Day program," said Balzano. "After spending the day with us, he joined a JROTC program. His room was filled with all the memorabilia he received from all the units. Shortly after, his health went downhill and before he passed away, he asked to be buried with the helmet he got from Pilot for a Day. This shows how amazing it is to have such an impact and how important a program like this is for these kids."