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Maryland Wing pulls FedEx 727 for Special Olympics

MDWG members pose before pulling the 100,000 lb Boeing 727 provided courtesy of Federal Express.
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MDWG members pose before pulling the 100,000 lb Boeing 727 provided courtesy of Federal Express. They are from left to right (top row): 2nd Lt Larry Allen, SM David Lyons, 2nd Lt Marie Livermore, Capt Christian Ready, Maj John Royer, Lt Col Larry Buck, 1st Lt Frank Jarosinski, SM Ronald Hauck. From left to right (bottom row): C/A1C Josh Magarick, 1st Lt Christopher Pumphrey, 2nd Lt Betsy Secrest, Capt Cindy Royer, C/2nd Lt Audrey Soto, 1st Lt Alison Malachowski, 2nd Lt Paul Kafig, Capt Daniel Goulet.

By Capt. Kay Joslin Walling
Maryland Wing Public Affairs

10/2/1999–Baltimore, MD–Members of the Maryland Wing of the Civil Air Patrol proved things only get better the second time around when they participated in the Second Annual Plane Pull at BWI International Airport on October 2. The event, organized by the

Maryland Transportation Authority Police, pits a team of twenty against a Boeing 727, in this case provided by the FedEx Corporation, to raise money for the Special Olympics of Maryland. The Rouse Company of Columbia, Maryland sponsored the team.

Not only did the Maryland Civil Air Patrol provide a team to pull the FedEx 727, but over fifty members from the Apollo One Composite SQ, Arundle Composite SQ, Bowie Composite SQ, Carroll Composite SQ, Towson Composite SQ, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite SQ, Group Three, and Wing Headquarters supplied support to the event. Members provided flight line and static display surveillance, manned a CAP recruiting booth, and policed the area for foreign object debris. Sparky the Fire Dog, Buckle Up Bear, Smokey the Bear, the Crash Test Dummies, the Litter Bug, as well as other safety characters were escorted, and in some cases portrayed, by members.

Maj Jon Royer, CAP, Maryland Group Three Commander, was project officer for the event. He summed up the day's activities. "Thanks to the Rouse Company, CAP got the opportunity to flex our muscles and prove we not only can handle our little Cessna 172s, but also can pull around one of the big guys - a Boeing 727 - and not take last place. In the end, everyone was a winner. You could see that when you looked in the faces of the special Olympians."

While the plane pull was the highlight of the event, the crowd was also treated to displays and demonstrations by the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and Fire Departments, static displays of both military and civilian aircraft, and live band performances. The Outback Steakhouse provided food and drinks for the volunteers. By "pulling together" the event raised $80,000 for the Special Olympics of Maryland.