I had the most fun on Saturday. :)

[WOT?*]

I volunteered with a group (Challenge Air) of private pilots that volunteer to take physically and mentally challenged children (and adults) on flights. They let the kids (that are able) fly the planes for a bit, do a route over Puget Sound so the kids can see the city/area from the air and generally give them a sense of being free from being locked in wheelchairs or their bodies. I was a loader, meaning I worked the flight line to help load/unload the kids into the plane to which I was assigned.

Here's a Flickr page from the 2009 event. www.flickr.com/photos/challengeair/sets/72157621745863098/ The Cessna with the burgundy/gold stripes (N2122S) was "my plane." It was so cool to see the kids come out of the planes all excited to have flown, with their pilot's wings and a certificate of accomplishment signed by the pilot. There were also "pony rides" (stick ponies from a therapeutic riding facility that did "barrel racing"), a cake walk, art, displays from various organizations (Canine Companions brought a number of partners-in-training).

The event was held near the Boeing facility at a private strip and museum; the guy that owns the museum has a fantastic collection of planes (several WWII era, retired military, bi-planes) on site and even took a couple of them up with the kids. So very, very cool.

Can you imagine being a kid and co-piloting one of these?

(This isn't one of the ones he took up but it's part of the collection.)

And if you're ever in the Seattle area, you can get a ride for a donation amount. Plane depends on the amount donated. I think that's what I'm doing for H's Christmas present this year.