Andrews reunion welcomes back Pilot for a Day children

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amber Russell
  • 459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. --  Children who battle serious or chronic conditions are considered true heroes and each year Joint Base Andrews recognizes these children with the Pilot for a Day program.

The annual Pilot for a Day program here invites children of all ages to be a guest and allow them to take flight from their daily challenges to enjoy an extraordinary and fun-filled day, Air Force-style.

This year the 6th-Annual Pilot for a Day reunion was held at the Reserve 459th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron during the Joint Service Open House and Air Show. May 20, 2011. Six of the 13 children currently involved in the program attended the reunion including:

· Isaiah Horst
· Sam Gates
· Jay Carr
· Kayla Kiley
· Elijah Davis
· Adam Henshaw

Organized by the 113th Wing and 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md., the Pilot for a Day reunion provided the children and their families the opportunity to reminisce about their previous base visits, network and share heartfelt stories. A recognition ceremony by the Reserve and Air National Guard wings, a slideshow presentation with photographs from previous year's Pilot for a Day events and a picnic were part of the afternoon. Following the picnic, the children and their families were escorted to the JSOH by their hosts to tour static displays and witness aerial demonstrations.

"It is a day we will always remember," Nanette Horst, Isaiah Horst's mother said. "All the work the pilots put into this made Isaiah feel special; his happiness was made a priority."

Confined to a wheel chair, Isaiah was carried by servicemembers to the top of the Air Traffic Control Tower and allowed him to direct an aircraft when he last participated in the Pilot for a Day program here.

The Pilot for a Day program was created and formed by Capt. Rory "Ox" Blackburn in December 1994 at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. The concept has since spread to several bases across the country.

After the program began at the 113th WG, the Air National Guard Airmen joined forces with the Reserve 459th ARW in 2005. It has since gained support by organizations like the Joint Base Andrews Fisher House and the Check-6 Foundation, who provides care to seriously ill children and military veterans.

The Andrews Pilot for a Day team now consists of Airmen like Maj. Susanne Shulz, 201st Airlift Squadron, and Maj. Kara Sandifur, 756th Aerial Refueling Squadron, who are both program coordinators.

"The purpose for the reunion is to celebrate our Pilot for a Day children and families." Major Schulz said. "Many organizations now want to be a part of this program because it is so special to these young heroes and their families."

For more information on the Pilot for a Day program, visit www.PilotForADay.org.