Photo Credit: Make-A-Wish Southern Florida
Ten-year-old Dmytri Christian Alexander, a pediatric cancer patient from the U.S. Virgin Islands fighting neuroblastoma, traveled to South Florida through Make-A-Wish Southern Florida to experience his lifelong dream of working with aircraft.
Local aviation coordinators and Signature Aviation arranged an immersive behind-the-scenes airfield itinerary at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, allowing him to step away from hospital treatments and explore every corner of active aviation operations.
During the special visit, the young aviation enthusiast toured emergency response vehicles, inspected Coast Guard aircraft and visited the airport control tower. The centerpiece of the day occurred on the tarmac, where he suited up in marshaller gear and successfully guided a private jet into position using standard visual hand signals. This heartfelt initiative provided a joyous milestone for his family, celebrating his passion for flight and inspiring hopes for future involvement in aviation.
Independent studies point out that business aircraft fly up to 15,000 hours per year for humanitarian missions. For some companies these flights account for as much as a quarter of their operations.
