Lakenheath goes above and beyond during "Pilot for a Day"

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Nigel Sandridge
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Carson Jones, a seven-year-old from Wales, experienced first-hand what it's like to be an Air Force pilot at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, March 31.

The "Pilot for a Day" program was enacted at RAF Lakenheath in 2012 by Maj. Jason Bianchi, former 493rd Fighter Squadron pilot. Similar to the Make-a-Wish Program, the program caters to children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions. The day-long event takes the child  out of their routine of treatments and hospital visits and makes the day about them by providing an up-close look at how the base functions and what it is really like to be a pilot.

"We host this day to help give them a break from the routine of their daily lives, which can sometimes be really difficult," said Capt. Matthew Tanis, 493rd Fighter Squadron pilot. "Today was one of those rare opportunities that come along to host a pilot for a day and his family."

David Jones, Carson's father, contacted the base via Twitter to see if a visit was an option for his son, after seeing the F-15s perform training exercises in the Mach Loop in west- central Wales.

"Carson has always been a fan of the F-15s and I wanted to see if he could come and get a look at them," David said.

Tanis made it his mission to coordinate the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Carson could remember forever. Along with scheduling the visit, Tanis personally escorted Carson and his family around the base.

"His smile and reactions were the best part about doing this program," Tanis said. "Carson was a character and definitely kept me laughing all day."

Carson spent his day doing a variety of hands-on activities with Airmen, such as testing engines at the 48th Component Maintenance Squadron, using a fire hose at the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron fire station, and trying on flight gear while hanging out with the pilots from the 493rd FS.

"We saw jets today, not just any jets, F-15s!" Carson shouted excitedly after an action-packed tour on base. "My favorite part of the day was seeing the powerful test engines."

After a day filled with activities, Carson was awarded his very own flight patch, along with the call sign "Mustang". The Liberty Wing showed its willingness to go above and beyond for its extended family.

"This visit meant the world to Carson because it's an opportunity that not everyone gets," David said. "I've seen him get to smile all day long and it's such a great feeling as a parent. I would definitely recommend the Pilot for a Day program because I know that there are kids out there in similar situations as Carson that this could be really beneficial to."