The Special Olympics Airlift is the largest peacetime airlift in the world with an aircraft landing every two minutes. [Courtesy: Dick Karl]
Key Takeaways:
The author volunteered their private jet and piloting skills for the Special Olympics Airlift, transporting athletes from New Orleans to Orlando for the USA Games.
The mission involved extensive coordination, strict air traffic control protocols, and overcoming challenges such as adverse weather, baggage logistics, and anxieties related to COVID-19 protocols.
Despite the complexities and initial anxieties, the author found the experience of participating in the "largest peacetime airlift" and flying the athletes to be "awesome, amazing, and uplifting."
The planned return flight to bring the athletes home was ultimately canceled after they tested positive for COVID-19.
A bowling ball can weigh up to 16 pounds. A Bocce ball weighs 2 pounds. Bocce balls come in eight packs, so 16 pounds. Why would you want to know this?
When I signed up at a Citation Jet Pilots (CJP) meeting to provide support for the Special Olympics Airlift in the Cessna CJ1 that my wife, Cathy, and I own, I had no idea that I’d be looking up bowling ball weights.
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Dick Karl is a cancer surgeon who appreciates the beauty and science involved in both surgery and flying. Dick’s monthly Gear Up celebrates the human side of flying. He writes about his enthusiasm for both the machines and the people who fly and maintain them.
