Del Rio boy gives two thumbs up as 'Pilot for a Day'

Published Aug. 24, 2010
By Staff Sgt. Desiree Economides
47th Flying Training Wing public affairs

LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Edgar Ibarra Jr. is a typical 8-year-old boy. He's into cars, airplanes and superheroes. He's shy with strangers but curious as to how things work. Meeting him while he is sitting, it is difficult to notice that Edgar has spina bifida, a neural tube defect developed while in the womb.

Little did Edgar know when he woke up on Aug. 20 that he would be spending the day at Laughlin with the 85th Flying Training Squadron and becoming a "Pilot for a Day".

"Every time we go in or out of town, he likes to see the planes from the base. So it was real exciting for him," said Edgar's mother Angelic Martinez.

The "Pilot for a Day" program gives terminally ill or disabled children the opportunity to experience a day in the life of a pilot at Laughlin. Every "Pilot for a Day" is specially designed to meet the needs and wants of the child participating, which makes it a day like no other.

"We've been doing this now for about six years and every one of these is different," said Sharlene Perez, an employee at the Department of State Health Services, Children with Special Health Care Needs.

"We tailor the program to what he would dig and not dig. Every agency on base loves to get involved. It's been an awesome experience," said Capt. Winfield Scott, a T-6 instructor pilot in the 85th FTS and coordinator for Edgar's day.

For Edgar's special day, he and his family had breakfast with Airmen from the 85th FTS, watched a K-9 demonstration, took a tour of the fire department and air traffic control tower and explored a T-6 Texan II aircraft. He even received his own flight suit, cap, coin and spare patches from other squadrons.

Following his favorite meal, pepperoni pizza, Edgar's could wait no longer; it was time for him to fly his own T-6 simulator.

"He's been giving thumbs up all day," said Perez.

When asked how his day went, Edgar responded bashfully, "Good. Everything was good."

His big, brown eyes and ear-to-ear smile, however, seemed to say 'good' was understating it.