Thanks to the generosity of Cessna Citation owners and operators, the 2006 Citation Airlift gave 1500 Special Olympics athletes plus their coaches an experience of a lifetime.
The 2006 Citation Airlift raised the bar and will go down in history as the best planned, organized, and flawlessly executed Airlift ever.
On each Saturday, July 1 and July 8, the on-site volunteer team consisted of over 170 Cessnans, more than 30 from Duncan Aviation, two individuals from Jetcraft in North Carolina, and another 200 local volunteers from Clipped Wings, Townsend Engineering, Anderson Erickson Dairy , and others from the surrounding area.
On July 1, cheerleaders and members of the Torch Run were on hand to help give a big welcome to the athletes. From the arrival of Dove #1, Townsend Engineering, at 6:50 a.m., until Dove #281, Rex Realty, arrived exactly 12 hours later, the team performed as if this was a part of their every day routine. The off loading of bags from the aircraft and onto the buses was quick and efficient. The athletes, wearing special airlift hats donated by Townsend Leather, were helped out of the aircraft by Cessna senior management and escorted down to the Welcome Center by members of Clipped Wings. Except for about 3 hours in mid-afternoon, the skies were overcast, with a light breeze that kept the temperature very comfortable.
Once unloaded, arriving aircraft were tugged to the fuel pit, parking, or to the launch area. Tugs for this operation were provided by UPS and FedEx through their local cargo operations. Tronair provided tow bars specially outfitted with Airlift logos to facilitate aircraft movement. The fueling operation consisted of 9 fuel trucks and one tanker. Extra personnel were provided by Signature Flight Support and AvFuel helped with extra fuel trucks. There were never more than 3 aircraft in line waiting for fuel and those that wanted a quick turn-around could get that accomplished in about 20 minutes.
At the beginning of the day on July 8, there were already 32 Citations on the ramp. The first 25 Citations were already stationed in lanes ready for bags and athletes to be loaded. The first Citation lifted off at 6:45 a.m.; the last one at 5:30 p.m., a full 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
As the pilots arrived, they were escorted to the Pilot Hospitality Tent where they were given a group number that would be used to call them to the staging area. While relaxing in the hospitality tent, crewmembers were treated to food, drinks, and ice cream sandwiches courtesy of Anderson Erickson Dairy. Individuals from Baseops and Flight Service Specialists were available to prepare them for departure with a weather briefing and a flight clearance.
Air traffic professionals from the FAA Command Center in Washington, Air traffic control specialists from the Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City Centers and the Local Des Moines Tower operations spent countless hours planning and simulating the heavy aircraft traffic flow of the Airlift. Their efforts paid off with a well-orchestrated aircraft arrivals and departures sequence into and out of Des Moines. The unsung heroes were those that worked in the Centers and the Des Moines tower ensuring safe aircraft flow. The Iowa Air National Guard curtailed their training flights on those two Saturdays which made it possible for Citations to land or take off every 60-90 seconds on both July 1 and July 8 without a single delay.
Another behind-the-scenes partner of this year’s Airlift was the facilities made available by the Des Moines International Airport, Department of Aviation in conjunction with the UPS cargo terminal ramp. Airport operations personnel planned, executed, and flawlessly supported the Airlift by providing electrical power, communication network, emergency communication, Fire/Rescue support, aircraft ramp marking, and countless other tasks that made July 1 and July 8 a memorable experience for the athletes and crews as they arrived and departed. UPS each weekend converted their ramp from a cargo operation to an Airlift operation, clearing countless cargo pallets and vehicles to provide the large open space that ensured a safe operation for the large number of aircraft participating in the 2006 Airlift. The City of Des Moines provided Police and ambulance support throughout the event to ensure any emergency could be handled quickly and efficiently.
There were a total of 235 different Citations that participated in the Airlift, 225 on each day. Some companies or individuals could only participate on one day or the other and fourteen companies made more than one trip or donated more than one Citation. View participants list.
The 2006 Citation Special Olympics Airlift was a resounding success because a group of people volunteered their time and resources to give 1,500 athletes an experience of a lifetime. For all of us that had the privilege of participating, July 1 and July 8, 2006, are two days we will never forget.
