HUNTSVILLE — “A Special Day for Kids”, a day of aviation fun for children with emotional and physical challenges and their families is coming in October.
The event is hosted by local nonprofit FlyQuest and is slated for Oct. 15.
FlyQuest offers unique learning programs to promote aviation-based careers and inspire all students to learn more about aviation opportunities.
The Kids Day announcement was made at last weekend’s Movie Night in the Hanger at Huntsville International Airport. More than 300 kids and adults took part in the event at the Avilution hanger. It featured the FlyQuest Mobile Aviation Classroom, a 6DOF flight simulator, and two airplanes on display.
Founded by Huntsville tech entrepreneur Mark Spencer, FlyQuest works to inspire the next generation of aviation professionals to the North Alabama community.
“FlyQuest has been bringing awareness to the high quality of life in aviation careers to all students from a variety of backgrounds since 2014. That’s our mission,” said Spencer. “We are happy to lend our abilities and support to also help make Kids Days happen for special needs kids in our area.”
FlyQuest Director David Knies adds the event is a chance for the local aviation enthusiasts to share their love of flying.
“What we really want to do is allow this community to pay it forward and pay it back to some of these children who might not otherwise have that opportunity because of challenges they’ve experienced in their life or their family’s have experienced,” said Knies. “And let everyone share that joy that those of us that fly, where you get to see the land above, let everyone share in that joy.”
Kids Day will allow children with special needs and their families to take to the skies on private flights over Huntsville. The day will also feature numerous activities and what organizers call “just the pure joy of fun”.
Knies said Kids Day started in Florida and, with the help of volunteer pilots and support of companies such as Signature Flight and Avilution, FlyQuest is able to bring the special day to North Alabama.
“Kids Day greatly enhances our programs because it allows us to pay it forward,” said Knies. “We’ll even have some of our own camp graduates who are pilots now taking part in Kids Day.”
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