Photo By Staff Sgt. Thomas Barley | Brothers Ethan and Brian Rubio from Kansas City, Missouri stare out of the B-2 Spirit...... read more read more
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Some children aspire to be scientists, engineers or fire fighters, but for brothers Brian and Ethan Rubio from Kansas City, Missouri, their dream has always been to become pilots.
Fortunately for them, with the help of Capt. Zachary Ziegler, a B-2 Instructor Pilot, assigned to the 393rd Bomb Squadron, they were able to get a small dose of what it's like to sit in the pilot's seat.
St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital in Kansas City contacted Zachary’s wife Lily in regards to the Rubio family where she worked as the middleman between the hospital and the 393rd Bomb Squadron.
“So Pilot for a Day is an opportunity for the 393rd tigers and specifically the wing to sponsor a child who is suffering from an illness or in this case a gene deficiency, to welcome them on base and give them a one in a lifetime opportunity to see what the B-2 is like,” Said Ziegler.
Brian suffers from a gene deficiency that has left him with depression, anxiety and a sensory disorder.
His brother Ethan, his mother Penny and his grandparents joined him on a Batman-themed tour of what it's like to be a B-2 pilot here at Whiteman Air Force base.
“Yesterday, it started with a pizza party where we brought all the tiger pilots and their families together and we had a naming where we named Brian “Batman” and Ethan “Robin” and we had a good time welcoming them to the squadron,” said Ziegler. “They got their own flight suits, their own patches and they were named by our commander and learned about call signs.”
With their new call signs, both Batman and his sidekick Robin woke up the following morning and met with Ziegler again at the Truman House where they ate breakfast together and would continue on with the rest of their tour.
Ziegler and the Rubio family started their tour at aircrew flight equipment where they were given the opportunity to try on a B-2 pilot’s helmet and harness and night vision goggles.
After visiting air-crew flight equipment Ziegler and the Rubio family made their way to the 13th Bomb Squadron where they would receive a Batman inspired intelligence report on “Operation Arkham Spirit” and also get a chance to fly in the B-2 simulator.
“They talked about the threat of Joker and how he was taking over Gotham City, so then we got in the B-2 simulator where we flew over Vegas aka “Gotham City” and bombed Joker and his bad men and retook Gotham City.” said Ziegler.
After their time in the simulator, both Brian and Ethan received a post-mission report and then met with Brig. Gen. John J. Nichols, commander of the 509th Bomb Wing, for lunch at the Mission’s End, where both brothers shared their experiences defending Gotham City.
| Date Taken: | 12.21.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.21.2018 19:12 |
| Story ID: | 304961 |
| Location: | WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 194 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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