Kids thrilled by Thunderbirds at open house

  • Published
  • By Stephen Delgado
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Last Friday afternoon the Thunderbirds practiced their show over Luke in preparation for the Luke Days 2011 Open House. As they performed for the men and women of the 56th Fighter Wing, 15 special guests watched the six F-16s soar.

Thanks to the Make-A-Wish-Foundation and the Thunderbirds, these 15 special-needs children and their families had front row seats. As the first Thunderbird roared by, all eyes turned to the sky.

For 10-year-old Mitchell Woodford who suffers from a rare disease, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, involving clonal proliferation of Langerhans cells, it was his first air show.
"My son was diagnosed when he was 7 years old and underwent chemotherapy for a year," said his father, Keith Woodford.

Mitchell is in remission now and attends school.

"It was a great show, especially when they flew upside down," Mitchell said.
He was also quick to recognize the dangers the Thunderbird pilots face and had a unique observation.

"If I was going fly the way they do, I would make sure I had asked Jesus to be my savior before I flew," he said.

The Falter family brought their son Timothy, 13, who was born without a pulmonary valve, a congenital heart defect.

"He had his first surgery when he was a 7-month-old baby to redo the pulmonary artery, aortic valve and make other repairs," said Maggie Falter, Timothy's mother. In July 2010 he had another surgery which resulted in a life-threatening staph infection and kept him in the hospital for seven months, according to Ms. Falter.

Ms. Falter said she was appreciative to the Make-a-Wish Foundation not only for having the opportunity to view the Thunderbirds practice, but for a trip to Maui, Hawaii, that they arranged for Tim and his family.

He said he had been to many air shows and never tires of watching the Thunderbirds.
Morgan Turner, 15, was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was 4 years old, according to her father, Jeff Turner.

"She had the tumor removed, but the recovery was lengthy because it took her a year to learn how to eat and two years to learn how to drink," he said.

Morgan has had numerous surgeries since, including a hip replacement and a rod installed in the back because of scoliosis. She is a freshman at Corona Del Sol High School, he said.

"It was nice to see the Thunderbirds perform and not have to fight the crowds," Morgan said. "We also met some of the pilots, which was special."

This special afternoon for the children and families was also special for the Thunderbird team.

"Meeting the children and families is one of my favorite parts of doing the shows," said Lt. Col. Case Cunningham, Thunderbird lead pilot. "We try to take the Friday before an air show and spend time with them. The smiles on the children's faces make what we do so special."

Master Sgt. Kimberley Harrison, Thunderbirds public affairs superintendent, agreed.
"It is a wonderful opportunity for these children to watch us train and perform and for the kids and their families to meet the pilots," she said. "I was amazed how much they were in to the show, despite it being so warm. There were no complaints, just smiles."

Capt. Ryan Riley, Thunderbird pilot left wing, said the Thunderbirds work together with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, so that the special-needs children and their families are invited.

"It is an honor and privilege to meet and talk with the children and their families," Captain Riley said. "Not only can they avoid the crowds, but we can meet the children and give them souvenirs to take with them. Community outreach is a very important aspect of what we do. We went to a cancer center before we flew today to meet with cancer patients and encourage them to keep up their fight for a complete recovery."