Photo By Airman 1st Class Emily Smallwood | U.S. Air Force Col. Paul D. Moga, 33rd Fighter Wing commander, poses with "pilot for a...... read more read more
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The 33rd Fighter Wing hosted Ethan Ibi, 11, and his family for the “Pilot for a day” program March 9, 2018, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
Out of over 20 applicants, Ethan was randomly selected to zip up his very own flight suit and stick on some special patches to join the rest of the F-35A Lightning II pilots in the wing.
The base’s host wing, the 96th Test Wing, played a major role in Ethan’s day. The Ibi family was greeted at the front gate and escorted with lights and sirens by the 96th Security Forces Squadron.
“We were so moved to see each person and their role in this event,” said Brooke Ibi, Ethan’s mother. “There was clearly so much effort put into this. Ethan was made to feel like a total rock star by each person we encountered. We expected to go and have a good time as a family, but this day exceeded our expectations tenfold.”
Due to Ethan’s love for the movie “Harry and the Hendersons,” he received an intelligence and mission briefing on how to find Big Foot in the local area. Ethan set out on a quest to find Harry with the 58th Fighter Squadron “Gorillas.”
“We do not expect for our son to be treated in a special way by others,” said Ibi. “We don't expect for people to go above and beyond for him, but they absolutely did.”
He had the opportunity to sit in the cockpit of an F-35A Lightning II and overlook the base from the air traffic control tower while speaking with pilots in the sky. Ethan was also able to watch a military working dog in action and spray a firefighter’s water hose.
“For Ethan, with his condition (rare form of dwarfism), being different means not being able to do so many things that he loves,” said Ibi. “All of us struggle with something, but he wears his struggle for the whole world to see. People see his struggle before he ever speaks a word. That can be a lot for a person to handle.”
The Pilot for a Day program provides an opportunity for school-age children with special needs to experience what it’s like to be a pilot and learn about what goes on behind the scene that make their job possible.
“Thanks for giving our son a chance to pretend that he was a part of that life with you guys,” said Ibi. “He truly felt like he made real friends through this, and we are so thrilled to have been a part of something so meaningful.”
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.27.2018 12:22 |
| Story ID: | 305263 |
| Location: | EGLIN AFB, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 90 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Pilot for a day: Ethan Ibi, by A1C Emily Smallwood, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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