Child gains pilot status Published Dec. 16, 2008 By Airman 1st Class C.J. Hatch 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- -- He's been waiting to come here since July for the temperature to drop as his medical condition won't allow him to venture outdoors when it's above 75 degrees. John "Buddy" Padilla Jr. has a smooth muscle condition that affects the stomach and intestines, and makes him unable to eat food or exert himself too much, among other things. Buddy became an honorary pilot-for-a-day with the 63rd Fighter Squadron and was given an orientation to familiarize him with all the duties and training of a Luke Air Force Base pilot. The day started with Buddy and guests meeting their escort Maj. John Greven, 56th Training Squadron assistant director of operations. They also attended a welcome brief from Brig. Gen. Kurt Neubauer, 56th Fighter Wing commander, who coined Buddy. After a short visit with the wing commander, Buddy headed to the 63rd FS to begin his pilot training. When he arrived he was presented with a flight suit and patches and escorted to a pre-flight briefing. Major Greven updated Buddy on weather conditions and the different training missions pilots fly at Luke. The moment arrived for Buddy to step to his F-16 Fighting Falcon complete with his name on the cockpit. Buddy sat inside the F-16 and became familiar with the controls before heading to the simulators to try his hand at flying. In the simulators Buddy learned to dog fight, perform in-flight aerobatics and land the aircraft. As the tour came to a close, the group went to the air traffic control tower to watch F-16s launch. "I liked the simulator," Buddy said. "It was like a big video game. I liked the whole day; it was fun."