Jan. 24, 2022
As athletes prepare for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, Textron Aviation aims to recruit more than 200 volunteer pilots and business aircraft to fly the athletes to and from the games, free of charge. “If you’re an owner-pilot and you have the opportunity to do this, you should jump on it because you’ll never regret it,” said airlift volunteer pilot Michael Budagher. “The heartfelt satisfaction that you get from donating your time, your aircraft — I don’t think there’s another comparison out there.”
In this episode of NBAA’s “Flight Plan,” host Rob Finfrock speaks with:
- Michael Budagher, president, West Texas PCS
- Maddie Gaines, Special Olympics athlete
- David Miller, director of safety education, Citation Jet Pilots Association
- Steve Sperley, vice president, sales, Textron Aviation and recruitment chair for the Special Olympics Airlift
The NBAA Flight Plan podcast, which ran from 2009 to 2025, provided an overview of important developments affecting NBAA members, and the association’s work to advocate for their interest. The archive of past episodes will remain available for your enjoyment. Please note that no new episodes will be released.
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