November 19, 2019 Challenge Air

The Liberty Gazette

November 19, 2019

Ely Air Lines
By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

Linda: It’s that time of year again when pilots eager to share their love of flight descend on Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport and meet up with families of special needs children and a hundred volunteers. The day is simultaneously rewarding and exhausting. I always come away with a few favorite stories. One this year is about a young man with Down syndrome. A recent high school graduate who had served in the JROTC, graduating with the rank of Major, he was one of the last co-pilots to fly before the sun set.

He returned to the hangar, escorted under the balloon arch and down the red carpet lined with cheering fans, and met his mom at the end. I turned back to look again, and saw his mom wrap her arms around him, his head buried in her. I walked over to them and asked, “Is everything okay? Is there anything you need?”

His mom just smiled and replied, “No, thanks, we’re fine. He’s just overwhelmed. His grandfather flew bombers in World War II, so flying in a plane today is very important to him.”

That’s enough to move me to tears, too. Here was one proud young fellow who had just flown with a special mission in mind: “I flew for my grandfather,” he said.

The great celebration in the hangar included clowns, face painting, arts and crafts, the Chick-fil-A cow, the H-E-B walking grocery bag, Santa Claus, and someone in a pink dinosaur costume. Families and volunteers danced to the music the disc jockey blasted out from hi-fidelity speakers, and everyone loved it. Except, that is, those who are sensory sensitive. Mostly, kids with autism.

“Special needs” covers a wide range, and events intended for “special needs kids” are too often planned without regard to the special needs of kids with autism who cannot take heavy doses of stimuli. I learned this from Jennifer and Wes, a couple who brought their son to Challenge Air last year. “The flight was great,” they explained, “but the rest of it is too much.” So, they offered to make it better for other kids this year.

They set up a walled tent and equipped it with individual floor mats, bean bag chairs, small hand-size plush toys perfect for squeezing, and weighted blankets. This was what they wished had been there last year when their son was bothered by all the noise and activity while awaiting his turn to fly.

One boy came in and immediately lay down on one of the floor mats, finally in a quiet space where he felt comfortable. He tapped the floor mat and said, “Like.” When Santa Claus peeked in the tent to check on how things were going, Jennifer invited him to lie down quietly with the boy. There, in his own element, calming before his flight, he and Santa had a heartwarming bonding.

Thanks to Jen and Wes, the sensory-sensitive tent was a big hit. We look forward to its expanded presence next year.

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