Special Olympics Airlift Returns 800 Athletes Home

A small air force of roughly 130 aircraft flew Special Olympics athletes home from St. Paul Downtown Airport (KSTP) on Saturday, closing out the ninth Special Olympics Airlift, organized by Textron Aviation. Held every four years in concert with the Special Olympics, the mission brought about 800 athletes to and from the USA Games this year aboard donated business aircraft using the call sign “Dove.” Athletes arrived on June 19, with volunteer crews and aircraft committed across both weekends.

The airlift was conceived by Russ Meyer Jr, former chairman and CEO of Cessna Aircraft, and was originally the Citation Special Olympics Airlift. Every four years, aircraft owners donate flight time, fuel, and crews so athletes can travel to the games without the burden of paying for commercial tickets. For some athletes, like Chris Barnes—a Kansas athlete who flew to and from the Games on Dove 17, a Citation CJ3—the flight is a first ride aboard any aircraft. 

Patrick Tegeder, one of the Dove 1 pilots, said this was his second Special Olympics Airlift, and “It’s just a great honor to be a part of something that means so much to these kids.” Fellow Dove 1 pilot Chris Suhs, on his first airlift, said the welcome on fly-in weekend left an impression. “The energy was great when we walked through,” he said, adding that the logistics behind the event were “top notch.”

Ron Draper, president and CEO of Textron Aviation, told AIN that the Special Olympics Airlift reflects values the company tries to live by. “It feels good as a human to do stuff for other people, especially people that may not necessarily be able to do something back for you. That’s sometimes when we’re at our best,” he said. Draper, who has volunteered for three airlifts, said close to 200 Textron Aviation employees worked over the two weekends this year. “We’re going to work 12 hours today, and not one personal complaint,” he said.

This year’s largest Dove was a Boeing 777, donated by the Arizona Cardinals and Gridiron Air, which carried all Arizona and New Mexico delegation members on a single flight. The aircraft involved are mostly business jets and turboprops more typically used for business travel, and the event has transported more than 10,000 athletes since its founding.