Tuesday was one of the best days of Aila Trawick’s life.
The 14-year-old Cantonment teen met a Delta Air Lines pilot, became best friends with two Delta flight attendants, took a selfie with Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves and even made two announcements at the Pensacola International Airport’s Gate 4.
Aila was among 129 children and adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, along with their family members and volunteers, to participate in the Wings for All event at the airport.
The event, a collaboration between the airport, Delta Air Lines, the city of Pensacola, Transportation Security Administration and the Arc Gateway, allowed the participants—some of whom have never experienced air travel—a chance to become more comfortable and familiar with flying.
During the mock flight, the participants checked in at the Delta counter, received a boarding pass, went through TSA, waited in the gate area to board an actual aircraft and even taxied around the airport for about 45 minutes.
“This was so much fun. I think everyone should fly in a plane sometime in their life,” said Aila, who plans to travel to New York City on her first real flight. “But I’m going to join Space Force and discover a planet. So I’ll be flying in space.”
Stephen Rampersad, chief advancement officer for the Arc Gateway, said the Wings for All event has been in the works for years and on Tuesday, all of the stars aligned.
“This is something my CEO (Melissa Rogers) had been looking into for six or seven years. We reached out to different airlines and the airport, of course, to kind of coordinate something like this. About a year ago, the airport contacted us and said Delta has shown interest in an event like this,” Rampersad said, adding in the past the airline had participated in Wings for Autism.
“The Arc wanted to introduce a Wings for All that would include anyone with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Historically, it’s been primarily for children but Wings for All would allow both children and adults to participate.”
The event attracted not only Arc Gateway clients but also Capstone Academy students and Escambia and Santa Rosa residents. Most of whom, Rampersad said, had never flown in an airplane.
“Not only is it a great opportunity for our clients to get out into the community and experience something new, but the intention from the airline and the airport was to offer something that makes travel a little more accessible to our community.”
Milton resident Stephanie Johnson brought her 14-year-old granddaughter, Paisley, to the event.
“If we just brought her to the airport for a real flight, it may have been too much for her. She doesn’t really like crowds and was a little overwhelmed when we first arrived but settled down quickly,” Johnson said, adding Wings for All has really helped prepare Paisley for air travel.
“She knows what to expect now when we really decide to fly,” said Johnson, who shared it was also a learning experience for her. She has never flown either but said she and her husband plan to book a flight to Memphis soon.
Arc Gateway client Barry Brooks, 64, was very excited at the prospect of getting on an airplane.
“I’m happy to ride on the plane. In fact, this is my first time at the airport,” Brooks said, as he proudly displayed his wings that were a token from the Delta pilot. “I liked the pilot. He was all right, and I took a picture with the mayor.”
If Brooks experienced any anxiety while on the plane, his Arc Gateway friends, Dawna Ritter and Doris Mares, stood ready to step in and help.
The two ladies are both seasoned flyers. Ritter has traveled internationally to Mexico, while Mares has flown to Washington, D.C., several times.
“I’m a traveling girl. I love flying so much. I don’t get nervous or scared at all,” Mares said.
Todd Payne, Pensacola airport’s assistant director of strategy and development, said Wings for All gives participants a real airline passenger experience with the exception of taking off for a destination.
“They will board an actual Delta aircraft and they’re going to taxi around the airport. So they’ll actual be on an airplane, moving, going through the full process of safety and security and announcements with a real Delta flight crew,” Payne explained.
“It’s a great opportunity to bring a level of comfort to people who have never flown before.”
Wings for Autism was created by Charles River Center, an affiliated chapter of The Arc, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Port Authority.
The Arc is a national organization with more than 600 chapters across the country that “advocates for and serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Down syndrome, autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy and other diagnoses.”