Vital Flight pilot Juan Plaza (right) assists Scott Rubin, 20, of Boca Raton,
before his plane ride during the organization’s special event at the Boca
Raton Airport. Kurtis Boggs/The Coastal Star
By Rich Pollack
Pilot Juan Plaza checked the instruments on his single-engine Cirrus, gave a thumbs up to the ground crew and got ready for his first flight of the day.
Sitting behind him, Scott Rubin, 20, of Boca Raton adjusted the plane’s headphone that connected him to the pilot and looked out the window with a wide smile across his face.
“He loves to ride in anything that goes fast,” Scott’s father, Bob Rubin, said as they got ready for a short flight from the Boca Raton Airport that gave new meaning to the term “joy ride.”
Scott, who is autistic, was one of almost 100 children and young adults with special needs who had an opportunity to go airborne in a private, propeller-driven plane or jet, thanks to Vital Flight, a nonprofit, South Florida-based pilots organization, which coordinates free air transportation for individuals with medical or humanitarian needs.
Since its founding just a few years ago, Vital Flight and its pilots have flown several hundred missions, shuttling passengers of all ages hundreds of miles without charging a dime.
“Our passion is flying and our mission is helping people,” says Jonathon Steiner, Vital Flight’s executive secretary and command pilot.
During the organization’s Special Kids Day event held the last Saturday in March, the 15- to 20-minute flights were a lot shorter than most missions — and they came with a little less urgency.
But for the 20 pilots who took the young people with special needs and their families up in the air, these missions were no less important and certainly no less satisfying.
“It’s a wonderful thing to see a smile on a child’s face and to know you helped put it there,” says Herb Dusowitz, a Vital Flight pilot who came up with the idea for Special Kids Day after learning about a similar event in California.
Now in its second year, the day-long event included everything from a bounce house and face painting to visits with pirates and a chance to get to know miniature ponies.
Of course, the highlight of the day for most of the youngsters was the chance to fly.
“Most of these kids have never been in or close to an airplane,” Steiner said.
For many, finances can be the big stumbling block.
“We’ve found that a lot of these families are struggling because of large medical bills,” said David Knies, chairman of the board for Vital Flight.
To ensure that the youngsters and their families could enjoy the flight without having to incur any expenses, Vital Flight sought out sponsors who helped cover some costs while the pilots paid for their own fuel for the day.
Critical to the success of the event were the efforts of dozens of volunteers — including many pilots’ wives — who helped ensure things ran smoothly.
While one of Vital Flight’s goals was to increase awareness of its community involvement, some parents believe the flights also helped increase pilots’ and volunteers’ exposure to special needs children.
For pilots like Plaza — a Boca Raton resident whose wife works with special needs students — there is something unique about having the opportunity to share his passion for flying with someone who may have never had the experience.
“It’s a lot of fun, especially when you’re flying with a kid who really enjoys it,” he said. Ú
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