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VAF "Make A Wish" update

ppilotmike

Well Known Member
Here's an update on the VAF Make A Wish mission to get Alex Cuellar and his father to Oshkosh for Airventure this year. As many of you know from the previous thread, http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=85196 Alex has an unknown type of cancerous brain tumor, that's inoperable. Prior to being diagnosed, he was training for his PPL with aspirations of being a commercial pilot. Now he and his family are fighting the ailment as best as they can, while trying to live life to the fullest. After chemo and other treatments, that were apparently unsuccessful, the tumor inexplicably stopped growing on its own. They are monitoring it with MRIs, and hoping that Alex can gain strength enough to fight with immunotherapy if needed.

So here's the update:

Mission Goals:

1) Show Alex my plane project and give him a HB workshop experience - COMPLETE :D(Me, my wife, Michelle-Alex's mom)
2) Get Alex some stick time in a local RV - COMPLETE :D(EAA Chapter 301, Young Eagles & Gary Zilik RV-6)
3) Get Alex's mom a ride in an RV so she feels secure with him flying to OSH in one. - COMPLETE :D(Jim Berry RV-10)
4) Arrange for RT transportation to and from OSH - COMPLETE :D(Dwight Drefs RV-10) Arrive: Sunday, July 22nd - Depart: Sunday, July 29th
5) Arrange for lodging for Alex and his Dad. - AWAITING CONFIRMATION :)(Paul Merems - Christian School in Osh)
6) Arrange for daily/weekly tickets to AV for Alex and Dad. - STILL NEED :((EAA?)
7) Aquire ground transportation for Alex and Dad while at OSH - STILL NEED :((EAA?)
8) Aquire tickets to Van's Banquet for Alex and Dad - STILL NEED :((Van's?)
9) Post after OSH writeup with pictures - STILL NEED :((Me)

Since this has been a "Vans Community" effort from the very beginning. I think it would be very cool to have him and his dad at the Vans Banquet as an example of the strength of our brotherhood, and a nod to Doug Reeves and Vans Aircraft, for what they have created. A big thanks, from me personally, to those who have helped thus far.
 
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thanks Mike and Dwight

Mike,
All good news. Nice job putting this together. Dwight - thanks for the offer to fly Alex and his Father to OSH.
I was talking with a friend and he was telling me how much walking there is at the show. When you say ground transportation needed, is that what you are talking about? Not having been there, is a little scooter or golf cart something to consider? I don't even know if they are allowed or available, but if is worth looking into. I believe ADA rules would allow a scooter for sure.

If anyone knows about the availability of scooters, that would be good info to have. I will research and see what I can come up with.

As for costs, I am willing to help out. I can't imagine EAA not coming up with a couple tickets and the same for Vans.

It looks like you are pulling this off with style! Keep us up to date, thanks
 
Mike,
When you say ground transportation needed, is that what you are talking about? Not having been there, is a little scooter or golf cart something to consider? I don't even know if they are allowed or available, but if is worth looking into. I believe ADA rules would allow a scooter for sure.

Rocky,

I think scooters are acceptable. Alex can walk, but not for extended periods of time. As we all know the heat doesn't help either. Worst case, there are trams and things to take him around, but it sure would be nice to have access to a scooter or golf-cart. Even at the tram stops, there's never a place to sit down. Hopefully Chad (EAA) will chime in here...

Mike
 
Mike,

If EAA does not kick in for tickets for Alex and his dad, I will pick up the tab for that.

Jim Berry
RV-10
 
1) Open a paypal account so we can all make donations securely, as small as they might be, they're all gona help.

2) Get the big guys involved. Lycoming, Dynon, Van's, EAA, Flying magazine, Kitplanes magazine, Lightspeed, Bose, etc... Prepare a short letter, and send to all. Again, even if it's just a 100$ contribution, it will help. Make sure the story is heard and all contributors are named and thanked at the Van's Banquet.

I don't see why everybody wouldn't get on board. :)
 
1) Open a paypal account so we can all make donations securely, as small as they might be, they're all gona help.

2) Get the big guys involved. Lycoming, Dynon, Van's, EAA, Flying magazine, Kitplanes magazine, Lightspeed, Bose, etc... Prepare a short letter, and send to all. Again, even if it's just a 100$ contribution, it will help. Make sure the story is heard and all contributors are named and thanked at the Van's Banquet.

I don't see why everybody wouldn't get on board. :)

Lockeed,

I agree that the Paypal account would have been convenient for receiving donations. However, I have been trying to get people involved in each stage of the mission, using their RV, or their influence, rather than creating a fund with which to simply purchase commercial tickets and/or lodging. The reason for it was to 1) keep the money to a minimum, 2) allow people to contribute in a personal way to Alex, and 3) to avoid setting precedent for a possible flood of similar solicitations on the VAF site (i.e. "please help! Send money to xxxxx"). While Paypal's fine for selling Vans stuff in the classifieds, I don't think it would be fair for Doug to have to try and moderate something like that. Sorry for the inconvenience in this particular case. If you really want to send money, send me a PM and we'll work it out.
 
6) Arrange for daily/weekly tickets to AV for Alex and Dad. - STILL NEED :((EAA?)
7) Aquire ground transportation for Alex and Dad while at OSH - STILL NEED :((EAA?)

I'm hoping to come up with a solution after a meeting tomorrow for this...really hoping I can get the connection made to take care of it. :cool:
 
UPDATE!

Great News! Weekly Airventure passes for Alex and Dad have been secured. Big thanks to Gary Menzimer at Ray Allen Company. Also, Joe Blank at Vans Aircraft has assured me that Alex and his dad will have a spot at this year's Banquet. The only thing left to figure out is ground transportation at Oshkosh to help with all the walking (if scooters are even allowed on the grounds - which I hope they are). I received a PM from Chad Jensen, that he's working on that. Thanks to everyone who helped out. There's still a few little things to cinch up before the show, but it appears this mission is going to be a success!:D
 
Ground transport info from Airventure website

Great News! Weekly Airventure passes for Alex and Dad have been secured. Big thanks to Gary Menzimer at Ray Allen Company. Also, Joe Blank at Vans Aircraft has assured me that Alex and his dad will have a spot at this year's Banquet. The only thing left to figure out is ground transportation at Oshkosh to help with all the walking (if scooters are even allowed on the grounds - which I hope they are). I received a PM from Chad Jensen, that he's working on that. Thanks to everyone who helped out. There's still a few little things to cinch up before the show, but it appears this mission is going to be a success!:D


Mike, that is awesome news. I did not see anything posted here yet about Airventure handicap policies with respect to gound transportation while on the grounds, so here is the link that basically confirms that personal transport scooters are accepted on the grounds, and they are available for daily rent. Now if we can get the scooter company to take care of him during his visit....

Perhaps that is the "connection" that Chad is pursuing.

http://www.airventure.org/planning/services.html
 
Mike, that is awesome news. I did not see anything posted here yet about Airventure handicap policies with respect to gound transportation while on the grounds, so here is the link that basically confirms that personal transport scooters are accepted on the grounds, and they are available for daily rent. Now if we can get the scooter company to take care of him during his visit....

Perhaps that is the "connection" that Chad is pursuing.

http://www.airventure.org/planning/services.html

Sweet! Hopefully that all works out on Chad's end. Thanks for looking up the link. By the way, your wing spar is looking good, man!
 
Get in contact with Vista Mobility Specialist, they are the guys who handle scooter rentals at the show:

See here

And good job by the way!!
 
Hey guys, Iv'e been watching from a distance because I am in the wrong direction and not sure if I am even going to make it to Osh this year. However It is very gratifying to see everyone work together and everything come together so nicely. WOW, you guys are great.

Mike, if it will help, I'll help pay a significant portion of scooter rentals if needed. PM me and we can make the arrangements.
 
scooter update

I have been working on the scooter rental with Mike. Vista is the on-site scooter rental company. They have been contacted and have not responded. I have spoken with another medical supply company and they have agreed to donate the use of a scooter for the week for just a delivery charge.

Chad is also looking into the scooter rental from Vista. We are waiting to hear back from Vista to see if they are willing to help us out. I have heard stories about rental car companies charge higher rates if you say you are going to AV.

It would be easier if Vista came through because they have on-site storage. Alex will be going by bus to where he is staying and transporting the scooter would be difficult. I have spoken to one of the vendors and they have agreed to keep the scooter safe in the evenings and make sure it is plugged in. It may be easier for one of the VAF members to keep it with them in the evenings so they could bring it to Alex when he arrived in the morning and pick it up from him in the evening. If we need that, I bet someone from AVF will offer to help out.

I take my hat off to Mike for his effort for his neighbor. Wouldn't we all like neighbors like Mike? I also am impressed by the offers and commitments from many VAF members. We might pick each others scabs on building issues, but sure come together when it is needed.
 
I'm the lucky one...

Thanks Paul and Rock for the kind words about me helping out Alex. However, I'm just trying to do my part (and help others do their part) to keep the flame of aviation alive and well. Most people (adults and kids) can't fly without help from those who have gone before. I aim to be someone who helps people who are interested, get into and stay into aviation.

As a kid, I was very interested in aviation and rocketry. My dad had a PPL and took me up a couple of times when I was real young, but 1) he was an excellent example of the "bold" pilot who never gets to be an "old" pilot, and 2) thankfully for him (see #1) he let his currency lapse and stopped flying all together. My parents were trying to build a business, so we didn't have much money. I cut grass to earn cash, and built most everything myself (kites, gliders, rockets, tethered planes, and even parachutes for our pets!). My dad had a shop full of tools he never used. I learned how and frequently used them all myself for my "projects."
When I was 12, I built a handheld rocket launcher that my mom found under my bed. She was nervous because it looked like (and was) a weapon. After some encouragement from my dad: something like, "hey, at least let's see if it works," we went out to the backyard to try it out. I had been working on the rocket itself, which was complete with spring-loaded fins, just like what I'd seen in books. It was loaded from the rear, hooked up to the ignitors and then covered with a hinged plexi-glass shield to protect the user while aiming. My dad held the gun at a 45 degree angle in the air and fired. Whoosh! The exhaust burned most of the hair off his forearm (I didn't seal the plexi-glass/hinge interface, oops!) so he dropped the gun and spewed a few choice expletives. The rocket however zoomed gracefully over our neighborhood, landing about 4-5 houses away in a front yard. At about T+10 seconds, we heard a large report as the rocket, filled with gunpowder, carefully extracted from hundreds of firecrackers, packed tightly and wrapped in duct-tape for compression, exploded. Upon inspection of the 2 foot deep hole in the neighbor's yard (luckily they weren't home), my parents took everything away. No more planes, rockets or RC anything..
Fast forward about 19 years later. Thanks to my lovely wife, I finally received the encouragement and support I needed to reawaken my dreams of flight again. In 2005, I achieved my PPL in 36.2 flight hours (.4 longer than the school record). In 2010, I attended my first Airventure, flying in a friend's RV-7A. In 2011, I started building my own RV-10. Now, in 2012, I get to personally help keep a yound kid engaged in aviation who could very easily have dropped out due to depression, health, finances, etc.
I feel like I'm the lucky one here... and I encourage everyone to bring flying into the lives of your friends and neighbors, take up a kid who likes planes, take up someone who's lost their medical, talk about and show off your plane whenever you can, because you never know whose out there needing a little push to follow their dreams.
 
What is it ...

about guys who always want to blow stuff up??:D
I'm 72 now and still enjoy a good ald fashioned explosion!
Power available by the HBC to charge up Scooter ('Cause I said So):)
 
about guys who always want to blow stuff up??:D
I'm 72 now and still enjoy a good ald fashioned explosion!
Power available by the HBC to charge up Scooter ('Cause I said So):)

Wow! From Winder,GA eh? I grew up in Dunwoody, GA, back when it was a suburb. Good thing I never reached my goal of cracking into Class A airspace with a model rocket (5 stage). It might have landed by your house!:eek: Let me sing you a song I heard a long time ago... "cooooooooooome to Colorado!":D small world
 
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To Pilot Mike

Actually I am from Florida west coast, St. Pete actually. Miss Sandy & I are just following our grandchildren making sure they see us every now & then. See you in HBC at OSH. :p
 
Frazer,

I was born in England as well (Cambridge). My wife and I moved from Hawaii to Colorado (go figure!). Love the mountains and the dry, cool air, but miss my family in Georgia. We'll be there for Christmas (when I can stand the heat:D).

Jerry,

I'll definitely be at OSH. Not sure if I'll be in HBC though, since my plane is still in pieces in my garage. Perhaps I'll get to fly in with my friend Jeff (RV-7A). He'll park it in HBC, so maybe I'll camp there after all.
 
Donation Link!

Okay. For all of you that have sent me PMs asking where and how you can donate to help Alex, here's the link:
http://www.experimentalaero.com/

In an effort keep VAF free of paypal solicitations, Paul Merems, of DRDT2 Dimpler fame, volunteered to host the link and writeup. He has been helping me make Alex's wish come true by finding lodging for him and his dad at Oshkosh. As we all know, lodging the week of Airventure is neither cheap or easy to come by. So far, Paul has accepted some donations from people he knows locally, but we are still short of what's needed, and wanted to offer the "non-locals" a convenient way to help.
We are close to having the lodging figured, but in addition, we thought it would be nice to give Alex and his dad some money for tee-shirts, rides at the show (helicopter, tri-motor, etc) and souvenirs. It could help them commemorate the time without concern about the costs. Any additional funds over and above their needs will be donated to a charity of their choosing. A big thanks from me to all those who have helped so far.
 
Thanks Mike. This is great. I am trying to finalize the scooter rental, just waiting to hear from Vista. Thanks for your work on this. It will be a great trip for Alex and his father. For those of you who were or are, Alex's father is I'm the Army. My son is am Apache AH64D pilot so I am excited to help him have a great experience with his son.
 
Mike,

The experimentalaero link made donating easy peasy. My thanks to Paul at DRDT2 for making it happen.

Come on guys; it's time to step up and help a kid who needs a break.

Jim Berry
RV-10
 
Lets make an Airventure dream come true for a remarkable boy

Please help send Alex and his father to Airventure this year. Just in case you missed the donation link (via PayPal) here it is: www.experimentalaero.com

Even a small donation will help.
 
A Very Sad Day

As many of you are aware WE (the RV community) gave a gift of a great Airventure 2012 experience to a young adult named Alex who was suffering from a brain tumor. He got to ride in a RV-10 from Denver to Oshkosh and even got a free ride in FiFi the B-29. He had a great time and I thank you all for helping make his Airventure dream come true.

Sadly I learned Alex passed away this past Saturday (11/9/13). I spent time with Alex during the Airventure 2012 and I will always remember his spirit and optomistic outlook on life. My thoughts are with his family.

With tears in my eyes I am writing this to let you know WE all did a great thing for Alex and he is flying with all the great RVer's that have gone west.
 
Absolutely terrible news. He really enjoyed flying and so wanted to be a pilot. It is so unfair that a young person with plans and capabilities is taken away just when things should be going their way. God Speed and Tailwinds Alex.
 
I have never met a kid with as much Grit as Alex had. Alex touched my heart. Must go now, to many tears.
 
R.I.P. Alex

It's terrible news that Alex is gone. He was a strong, courageous and kind-hearted soul, who will certainly be missed by many. Spending time at OSH 2012 with him and his dad was great. Celebrating his highschool graduation with his family and friends was also great. Even as he was battling the cancer, he still made time to live life well. For example, going indoor skydiving for his birthday last year! He was a real fighter, who made every minute count for himself, his family and those of us who's lives he touched. Thanks to the VAF community for helping him enjoy some RV time before his "flight." Godspeed Alex.
 
I hate cancer. Hate it. Its perhaps only redeeming factor is that fighting it brings out the best in people.

Tenacity. Dignity. Strength.

It was such a pleasure meeting Alex briefly at OSH. He spoke with Tyson as well, and encouraged his pursuit of flight.

What a fine young man, to have left such a positive legacy in the world during such a brief visit. Godspeed, Alex.

--
Stephen
 
Memorial Service for Alex

For those local people that wish to attend Alex's Memorial Service, the information is below. This is from his family. I spoke with his mom, Michelle, this morning, and she wanted to thank everyone for "welcoming Alex into the aviation family, making him feel like a part of it and helping his OSH dream come true." She feels that his time spent in Oshkosh with his father and others in the community "was the time of his life." Her memorial post is below:

On November 9th at 7 pm, our son, Alex Cuellar, passed away. He fought an incredible battle against cancer The world has lost an incredibly kind and wonderful person. His laughter and personality will remain forever in our hearts. Services will be held on Friday, November 15th at 1pm Horan and McConanty 5303 E. County Line Road (West of Holly Street)Centennial, CO 80122 ? with Dani Cuellar, Michelle Cuellar and Alex Cuellar.

I plan to attend with my family and may read some of the well wishes for those who can't be there.
 
Missing Man Formation for Alex

Mike,

Any possibility of arranging a missing man flight?

Paul,

Good idea. I'm working on it with our local RV formation group (Rocky Mountain Renegades). Unfortunately, the memorial service will be held only 3 miles from the tower at Centennial Airport, so I have to find out if they'll allow it first.... Stay tuned.
 
"Missing Man" for Alex

Contacted tower. No problems with it, although they will obviously control the flight through their airspace. Working on finding volunteers to do the formation now and coordinating with the family/venue for timing...
 
I had the honor of flying Alex and his Mom, as well as Mike's wife, in my -10 last year. Alex was a fine young man. He will be missed.

Let me know if I can do anything to help with the missing man.

Jim Berry
RV-10
 
I had the honor of flying Alex and his Mom, as well as Mike's wife, in my -10 last year. Alex was a fine young man. He will be missed.

Let me know if I can do anything to help with the missing man.

Jim Berry
RV-10

Thanks for your help, Jim (past and present). I've been talking to Jim Gray, Flight Lead - Rocky Mountain Renegades. He's working to get volunteers for the fly-over. However, they are scheduled to go to a formation clinic this weekend and were planning to leave CO on Thursday. Perhaps some of the guys will stay behind, or weather will change the plans...
 
Very Sad News...

I am very saddened to hear about the loss of Alex. I was so hopeful that Alex was on his way to recovery after meeting him and his dad during Airventure 2012. I think that Alex's passion and desire for flight has now taken him on a journey that will allow him to fly higher, faster, and farther than the rest of us can ever imagine.

God Speed Alex
 
My son and I enjoyed sharing a meal with Alex and his dad at Oshkosh. This is terrible news and I'm so sad to hear it.

Rest in Peace, Alex!
 
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