ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — You’re never too old to dream, and you’re never too old to have fun. That’s the mantra of volunteers with Dream Flights, a non-profit that gives World War II, Korea and Vietnam veterans the thrill of taking flight in a WWII-era open cockpit biplane.
The non-profit partnered with Bonaventure of Castle Rock on Thursday to give four local veterans the kind of thrill ride they’ve never experienced before: a 15-minute journey, 1,000 feet in the air above Colorado.
“It was just so exhilarating and exciting. And I was just telling somebody, you really can’t know how exciting it is until you’ve been on one,” said Gene Kozleski, 80, an Air Force veteran.
Volunteer pilot Jeff Klosky said to FOX31, the veterans aren’t the only ones experiencing a thrill.
“The reason I do this is just to get those responses. It’s a way to serve. It’s a way to say thank you. But it really, for a segment of our population that’s kind of forgotten about, it lets them know that they’re not forgotten about, that their service was appreciated. And it really does take years off of their lives. And it just brings them back to life,” said Klosky.
The flights departed from Signature Aviation at Centennial Airport.
Dream Flights is based in Carson City, Nev. The charity pilots between 600 and 800 flights for veterans every year.
“And it’s just a great way to be able to honor our seniors. This is a flight of a lifetime. They will never be able to get on a plane again and to take a flight like this. And it’s just so nostalgic to be able to have them feel this again and have some excitement and give them some vitality in life. It’s just amazing,” said Heather Brown, executive director of Bonaventure of Castle Rock.
The oldest of the veterans who took flight Thursday was Gordon Mickelson, 96, a retired Air Force Colonel who spent 30 years in the military and served in Korea and Vietnam.
But for Mickelson and the others, the flight reminded them: you’re only as old as you feel. And on Thursday, they felt 20 years old all over again.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
