Veteran's flight nonprofit group to honor wounded veteran's with Cessna
November 11, 2011, 05:19 pm
In conjunction with the nonprofit group Veterans Airlift Command, Cessna Aircraft announced recently that two wounded veterans wouold be honored with a special Cessna jet flight from San Antonio, Texas, to Pinehurst, North Carolina, where they would be honored as part of a Veteran's Day ceremony, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
The soldiers, former U.S. Army staff sergeant Bobby Henline and Army sergeant first class Matthew Miles, were both wounded in recent conflicts in the Middle East. Henline was wounded by an improvised explosive device in Iraq in 2007, and Miles was severely injured the same year in Afghanistan. Henline, who has experience working with the VAC, lives in San Antonio. VAC works to transport wounded veterans and their families through a network of volunteer pilots. Many injured veterans are forced to spend long amounts of time away from their families as they recover from injuries sustained in combat.
Cessna, in partnering with VAC, hopes to encourage more independent pilots to volunteer their time.
"Our men and women in uniform have given our country a tremendous service, and many have paid a heavy price," Cessna President and CEO Scott Ernest said in a release. "Our commitment of the American Patriot to support the Veterans Airlift Command allows us to demonstrate our gratitude and provides Cessna with a way to give back to our wounded warriors."
The plane that will be making the trip to North Carolina for the celebration is a Cessna Citation Mustang - a dual-turbine business class performance jet capable of flying at 41,000 feet and reaching speeds of just under 400 miles per hour.
The plane, named the American Patriot, was specially detailed with a patriotic theme for the event.
The airplane is just one of the many aviation-based tributes organized this Veteran's Day. In Arlington, Virginia, home to the U.S. Air Force Memorial, which observed a two-minute moment of silence at 11 am on Veteran's Day, a tradition that dates back to the armistice that ended the First World War.
Many of the independent pilots who volunteer for organizations like the VAC enroll in pilot insurance plans that cover their specific needs. Term life insurance for pilots often covers certain risks inherent to personal flight that typical insurance policies will not cover.
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