Arizona boy becomes A-10 pilot for a day

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jerilyn Quintanilla
  • 355 Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Seven-year-old Michael Castillo toured Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., as an honorary A-10 pilot and participant in the Pilot for a Day Program June 24.

The purpose of the program is to give local children with illnesses an enjoyable day completely devoted to them and their interest in aviation.

Accompanying Michael were his grandparents, Gilbert and Maria Castillo, and cousins Angel, 12, and Lanysa, 9.

Michael's day began by meeting his host pilot, Capt. Aaron Celusta, an A-10 pilot assigned to the 357th Fighter Squadron, at the visitors' center. Celusta escorted the honorary pilot and his family to the 357th FS where he presented Michael with his very own flightsuit, complete with a personalized name tag and squadron patches.

Once suited up, Michael and his family listened to a pilot briefing, toured the squadron and checked out life support gear.

After finishing up at the 357th FS, the captain took Michael and his family on a tour of the base fire department, where he rode in a fire truck and saw the fire hose in action.

The next stop on the tour was the flightline, where he saw an A-10 static display. Michael then went from one static display to another, this time to see the HC-130, where they made their way to the cockpit.

Following his tours of the displays, Michael got the inside scoop at the 48th Rescue Squadron. Home of the D-M pararescuemen, Michael toured the squadron getting a rare glimpse of the different tools the PJs use to complete their mission of combat search and rescue -- ranging from diving gear, the jaws of life, a boat and a parachute.

Their next stop was back to the squadron for lunch, where Celusta presented a few gifts to Michael. He received a 357th FS T-shirt and a few photos of the A-10 signed by the pilots. The group then headed to the 355th Operations Group, where they got to experience an A-10 simulator, a system that replicates flying the aircraft over a virtual map as realistically as possible.

After their flight experience, they headed off to the air traffic control tower where the group got a bird's eye view of the entire base and flightline. The air traffic controllers also presented Michael with an occupational badge and certificate making him an honorary air traffic controller.

Michael's Air Force experience concluded at the 355th Security Forces Squadron military working dog unit where Staff Sgt. Michael Ruiz, his military working dog, Emor, and Staff Sgt. Aaron Escalante put on a demonstration for the family.

The Pilot for a Day Program originated at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, in 1994 and has since been implemented at several other Air Force bases. Davis-Monthan hosted its first program participant in August 2000.