Four Lewis County veterans took to the skies in a 1942 Boeing PT-17 Stearman biplane at the Chehalis-Centralia Airport on Monday courtesy of Dream Flights, a nonprofit organization out of Nevada that honors seniors and veterans with free flights.
Started in 2011 with a single plane by Darryl and Carol Fisher, the organization has now given over 6,000 free flights to seniors, said Dream Flights volunteer pilot Ryan Weir, of Buckley. The nonprofit is operated entirely by volunteers, including Weir’s wife, Tammy Weir, and daughter, Abby Weir.
While he normally flies commercial jets for Southwest Airlines, during his free time Weir enjoys sharing the magic of flight with veterans, especially in the classic Boeing biplane.
“In World War II, these were all painted yellow and called yellow pearls. They were what you would use to train to fly in,” Weir said. “It means a lot to be able to take them up in it.”
The plane the veterans took flight in Monday is also adorned with the signatures of World War II veterans who flew in it during Operation September Freedom 2021. The veterans signed the plane’s vertical stabilizer.
A total of nearly 900 World War II veterans were given flights throughout that month, Weir added.
Aside from Weir, 11 other pilots currently volunteer for Dream Flights, and they now have seven total aircraft to use to provide flights. The nonprofit has a number of sponsors, the largest being Sports Clips, which was represented at the airport Monday as well.
The four veterans who got to fly on Monday included:
• Bill Huttula, who served in the Vietnam War as a Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army.
• Terry Dennis, who served in the Vietnam War as a communications specialist aboard the U.S.S. Tripoli, LPH-10 and U.S.S. Midway, CVA-41, in the U.S. Navy.
• Wayne Reuter, who served from 1962 to 1964 as a specialist and motorpool mechanic in the U.S. Army.
• Jerry Blanchard, who served from 1961 to 1965 as a storekeeper aboard the U.S.S. Fort Marion, LSD-22, landing ship in the U.S. Navy.
For more information on Dream Flights, including how to volunteer or request a Dream Flight for a veteran, visit https://dreamflights.org/.
