LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Langley welcomed five oncology and hematology patients and their families from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Aug. 6 for a base tour they will never forget.
The patient's ages ranged from 5 to a 17-years of age and their illnesses varied from cancer (oncology) to blood disorders (hematology). Although 10 patients were originally invited, some of the children were unable to attend due to their illnesses.
"It was my privilege to work with Portsmouth; to provide military families with health problems the opportunity to come to Langley for a day filled with fun activities," said Maj. Douglas Kuhn, 1st Equipment Maintenance Squadron operations officer. "This kind of tour is normally reserved for distinguished visitors."
The tour began with Langley's guests riding to a hangar in the 27th Fighter Squadron, where they were greeted by Maj. Dave Skalicky, the F-22A Raptor demonstration pilot, and other members of his team.
Major Skalicky and his team answered questions about the Raptor, handed out pictures, stickers and fact sheets about the aircraft. Afterwards, the Raptor demonstration team autographed the pictures for the children.
Shortly thereafter, the 1st Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment personnel let Langley's guest try on flight equipment, such as harnesses, helmets, and night vision gear.
After seeing what the Raptor looks like close-up, learning about its capabilities, and trying on pilot gear, they got to see the aircraft in action.
When the aerial demonstration was over, Major Kuhn asked Aidan, if the aerial demonstration was ok?
Aidan replied, "It was better than ok. It was great!"
Where most tours end with the Raptor demonstration, this tour had one more surprise. They went into the 1st Fighter Wing Air Traffic Control Tower and learned how Langley skies are controlled.
From the tower they were able to learn about and play with a $43 million simulator called the Tower Simulation System, which keeps air controller's skills honed on keeping aircrafts safe.
"I want the kids that came today to have a sense of hope," said Chris Brogan, NMCP child life specialist. "Even when dealing with a chronic disease, such as cancer, education is still important. The technology they have seen today is still in their grasp."
Young patients that are plagued with cancer and blood disorders can miss a lot of school because of the disease and treatments, said Mr. Brogan.
"I think the kids stayed strong even though it was an active schedule and the weather was hot," said Major Kuhn. "This says something about kids who can get worn down quickly, their interest was peaked."