A volunteer airlift will transport approximately 1,000 Special Olympics athletes and coaches to Minnesota, easing the stress of travel for the 2026 U.S. Games.
Athletes fly in the Special Olympics airlift
Airplanes alone aren’t enough to get athletes to games. Textron Aviation will coordinate the effort and AccuWeather will provide predictive support to make weather-informed decisions.
- Textron Aviation organizes commercial airlift to transport Special Olympics athletes to games.
- The effort will involve approximately 120 commercial aircraft, transporting approximately 1,000 athletes and coaches free of charge.
- This airlift began 40 years ago and is made possible by volunteer pilots and aircraft owners.
Nicole Henderson is an athlete. She competes in bocce and bowling, winning gold medals in those sports. She also competes in swimming, alpine skiing, basketball, and track and field.
Like other athletes, traveling to compete can be a stressful experience for Henderson, so he was excited to board a private plane to the Special Olympics, where he will be competing in bocce and bowling this summer.
“I’m a little nervous, excited, happy and proud to be able to do this,” Henderson told USA TODAY. She and her husband are among the approximately 1,000 athletes and coaches who will fly privately to the Special Olympics this year.
The airlift is organized by Textron Aviation, a Wichita-based general aviation manufacturer that brings together owners and operators of small aircraft to help Special Olympics athletes compete.
“It’s giving back. Every other flight we’re on, you’re supporting the company’s mission,” Christopher Clawson, a pilot with Prent Corporation in Janesville, Wisconsin, told USA TODAY. “This is a real way to use our aircraft to serve our communities.”
This is Clawson’s first Special Olympics airlift, as part of which he airlifted seven flag football team players and two coaches from Indianapolis to St. Paul on June 19.
Why Special Olympics airlift exists
Traveling can be stressful for anyone, but there’s an added level of complexity for athletes heading to competitions, who also have special accessibility needs.
Ron Draper, CEO of Textron Aviation, said the first airlift began 40 years ago to help several players travel from Kansas to games.
“The first one was a couple of planes to take the players to the games,” Draper said. “So the idea was born, what if we did a lift that was intentionally planned for them?”
The effort has expanded over the years with nine consecutive airlifts and now consists of approximately 120 commercial aircraft, helping transport nearly 1,000 athletes and their coaches.
Private flights reduce the stress of travel for participating athletes, allowing them to focus on their sport in preparation for competition.
According to Textron Aviation, squads will be surveyed for interest in participating prior to the game and seats will be allocated once a roster of aviation volunteers is finalized.
“All these owners, all these operators, all these corporate departments are paying for things like fuel and pilots and using resources,” Clawson said.
None of the participating players will have to pay for their flight.
Draper said pilots and airplane operators are always excited to participate in the effort.
“We don’t have to assign people. We just ask for volunteers and hundreds of our employees volunteer. They really enjoy the event and the satisfaction of participating,” he said.
How to prepare your operator
Special Olympics airlifts take years to plan and bring to fruition. More than 100 planes land every few minutes, requiring coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, local airport authorities, pilots and athletes.
Textron and participating pilots will also need to coordinate with Special Olympics organizers to ensure proper accommodation for all athletes.
“When we have athletes who have special needs, like noise abatement or mobility issues, Special Olympics really works for us,” Draper said.
However, he acknowledged that not all players have access to private aviation. “Most of these aircraft can’t actually carry wheelchairs,” Draper said. “It would be nice if we could get 100 percent of the players on the plane, but to offset the costs, we’ll probably only get 20 percent of the players on the plane.”
Those who rely on custom mobility devices still have to take commercial flights or find other ways to get to game venues, risking damage to their wheelchairs in the process.
But for athletes like Henderson who have access to air transport, it’s a much less stressful way to travel.
Where to watch Special Olympics
The Special Olympics will be held in Minnesota, primarily in and around the Twin Cities, until June 26th.
Information on how to attend the event in person is available through Special Olympics, and the broadcast will be available primarily on ESPN+.
For athletes like Henderson, the entire experience of competing is exhilarating.
“It’s like being part of a family. You get to root for your teammates, and the coaches cheer for us. And that gave me the strength to be myself, to be part of the family, to get married,” she said.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and can be reached at zwichter@usatoday.com.
