On a sunny April morning, five veterans of the U.S. Army, Air Force and Navy took their turns climbing into a restored open-cockpit biplane.
The 1943 Boeing Stearman biplane was manufactured in the U.S. Navy. It's the same aircraft used to train aviators during the war. After the war, this plane served as a crop duster in California.
The veterans range in age from 85 to 102.
Helping them are pilot Carl Geisert and staff members from the River Valley Estates senior residence community in Yuma.
Geisert and his wife Mylan, who live in Chandler, give veterans special days as part of Dream Flights, a Carson City, Nev.-based non-profit organization. Dream Flights officials say they have flown almost 6,000 senior veterans around the country since 2011.
“It’s very rewarding to give back to these folks," Geisert said. "I have a blast. I love flying. It just lights them up."
Bob Littleton was up first. The 92-year-old is an Air Force veteran. Littleton is a bit hard of hearing but after his flight, he was smiling and ready for more.
A River Valley employee asked him how he liked the flight.
“It wasn’t long enough!” Littleton laughed.
Next up was 102-year-old Clifford Updike. His adult granddaughter Stormy Morgan, who was visiting from New Mexico, watched as a team of people carefully helped her grandfather get up from his mobile scooter and in and out of the 1940's biplane.
After the 15-minute flight over Yuma, Updike greeted his granddaughter.
“Grandpa, did you have fun?” Morgan asked.
“What’d ya think?" Geisert added. "Good ride?”
“Well… I survived!” Updike replied.
Morgan couldn’t stop smiling as she took photos of her grandpa.
“I think it’s pretty amazing," she told KAWC. "He’s gotten to go a couple of times, which is really awesome. Being 102 and being excited to do this great."
"I think he’s secretly still a thrill seeker, even at 102, so he just really enjoys it,” Morgan said.
This was the third year for residents from River Valley Estates to take Dream Flights. Sandi Pangrl is River Valley’s administrator.
“They (veterans) have been talking about this, some of them were up early today," Pangrl told KAWC. "It’s amazing what it means to them. Last year we had eight fliers. Our oldest this year is 102. He was so excited for today. He said he’ll do it again if he’s still with us at 103."
