Many children with chronic illnesses or disabilities are confined to a wheelchair or limited in their movements due to physical impairments, fatigue or other maladies.
But a local nonprofit organization is teaching some of them to soar through the sky, right here in Taylor.
“We are trying to make kids happy,” said Paul Hansen, a Belton-based pilot who founded the nonprofit organization Flying Vikings more than a decade ago to allow children ages six to 18 years old with a chronic illness or physical disability to experience piloting an airplane for free during a special event.
Though the organization hosts events all over Texas, as well as in Tennessee, Missouri and Florida, Flying Vikings is gearing up for its third Taylor flight from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at Taylor Municipal Airport, 303 Airport Road.
“What we are doing is taking them out of the norm that they are used to, allowing them to go up in a real airplane, let them fly and give them some freedom,” Hansen said.
Flying Vikings is made up of volunteer pilots with a minimum of 250 hours of time as pilot in command and who are current with all their flight standards and ratings.
Hansen said he plans to make the Taylor flight happen on an annual basis. For this year, he expects about 20 participants, including kids with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy. The cost will be free for the families and is made possible through generous donations from businesses and individuals.
“We put the parents in the backseat, and they can film it,” he said. “We will have lunch, we will have food and games. It’s neat when it happens.”
“You know a lot of the kids they are not climbing trees, riding bikes or playing sports, etc., so here we are taking them to a level that other people are not doing. We let them have some fun out of a clinical setting.”
