Will goes on great adventure at Luke

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Stephen Delgado
  • 56th Fighter Wing
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  In the late 1980s, one the most popular movies was Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. It was a story of two teenagers experiencing a plethora of unique adventures. 

Will Tuszynski, 7, had an experience July 30 that could be called Will's great adventure. He was pilot-for a-day, and as such experienced a day in the life of a pilot. 

He shared the day with his four-year-old brother, Blake and his dad, Ron. Will's mom, Kathy, could not be there because she was home taking care of Will's 20-month-old brother, Daniel. 

Will was diagnosed with epilepsy in March 2007. "He started having mild seizures, and then they became more frequent and the duration longer," Mr. Tuszynski said. "We took him to the doctor, but nothing conclusive came out from the visit. Will had a serious seizure during the weekend, so we took him to Phoenix Children's Hospital, and they kept him overnight. The doctors there concluded that Will had epilepsy." 

They went to work immediately to come up with a way to control Will's epilepsy. "He is currently taking medication and has been put on a ketogenic diet, which is an extreme form of the Atkins diet. It is high in fats and allows very few carbohydrates. We have to count the fat grams he consumes on a daily basis. Will has recently gone through periods where there is a decrease in the amount of seizures, but a change in diet can lead to more frequent seizures," Mr. Tuszynski said. 

He said that being part of the pilot-for-a-day program will give his son the chance to put his problems aside for awhile. 

The day started with a visit to the office of Col. Hank Reed, 56th Fighter Wing vice commander. Colonel Reed welcomed the Tuszynski family on behalf of the Luke community. He showed them the numerous pictures, plaques and coins that fill his office, as well as giving Will a brief account of what his day would include. 

Now it was on to the 310th Fighter Squadron. Capt. Greg Collister, 310th FS A-Flight commander was Will's guide for the day. Not a detail was left unattended. Will even had a parking space in front of the building with his name on it. 

Captain Collister proceeded to give Will and his family a tour of the squadron facilities. They had the opportunity to meet Lt. Col. Jeff Zuress, 310th FS assistant director of operations. It was on to the locker area, where Will discovered that he had his own locker and call sign, which was Monkey. 

Every fighter pilot has his own flight suit. Captain Collister opened the locker and there a surprised Will saw one on a hangar just for him. It fit him perfectly and Captain Collister added wing and squadron patches plus a name tag. Will was ready to join the fraternity of fighter pilots, however, there were a few stops he had to make before he could go to the flightline. 

Will proceeded to life support, where Airman 1st Class, Renee Converse, aircrew life support apprentice and Airman 1st Class Nicole Watts, survival apprentice, fitted him for a helmet and briefed him on what to expect in the air. He also had the opportunity to try on night vision goggles. 

Now the time had come for the signature event of the day. It was time for a short ride to the flightline and the opportunity to check out his F-16. Upon arriving, Will was greeted by Capt. Todd Guest, 310th FS maintenance officer in charge. The name plate on the aircraft read in big letters, Will Tuszynski -- Pilot for a Day. Captain Guest opened the canopy, and it was time to make the climb to the cockpit. 

He stepped into the cockpit, as if he had done it many times before. Blake, his brother, also had the opportunity to sit in the cockpit. It was all smiles for the Tuszynski brothers. Will was now official. Captain Guest was by Will's side to answer any questions that he or his dad or brother had, and to explain what all of the components and instruments do. This F-16 is assigned to Lt. Col. Dave McCune, 310th FS commander. 

When the adventure in the F-16 was finished, it was time for lunch at Club Thunderbolt, and then it was on to the simulator. Will would have the chance to take off, do rolls, go after enemy targets and land the aircraft. His matinee debut was a success. 

"Will did remarkably well for his first time and considering how small he is," Captain Collister said. "I am proud of him."

However, the best was saved for the end of the day. Will and his family proceeded to the control tower to watch aircraft takeoff, do touch and go maneuvers and land. Watching aircraft from the tower offers a unique vantage point. It is more than 100 feet tall. Will had binoculars, so he could see the aircraft approach from far away. He smiled each time he watched the numerous F-16s come and go.

Then it was down to ground level to watch the F-16s take off and land. Not only was it a completely different vantage point, it was a lot noisier. 

Will was all smiles as his day at Luke came to an end. He had seen so many new things and had so many unique adventures. 

Mr. Tuszynski expressed thanks for Will's wonderful day. "I am really grateful to Luke, the Phoenix Children's Hospital and Make-a-Wish Foundation," he said. "Today has been a day that my son will remember forever." 

Ironically, as the day began, Will said he loves freight trains and wants to be a freight train driver when he grows up, but by the end of the day he added a new interest. "I now want to be a freight train driver and a pilot," he said.