Wings of Hope Holds Second Annual Plane Pull Event Fundraiser to Support Humanitarian Programs

By Carmelo Turdo

Wings of Hope held their second annual Pulling for Hope event Saturday at their Spirit of St. Louis Airport world headquarters. Eleven teams, sponsored by local businesses, competed for the fastest time to pull a Gulfstream jet 60 feet across the taxiway outside of the Wings of Hope hangar. All proceeds will be used to fund humanitarian aviation programs around the world that support the Wings of Hope mission of "Changing and Saving Lives Through the Power of Aviation." The warm, sunny autumn weather was a direct contrast to that of the 2023 edition, and this year three additional teams joined the fun. 

Along with a Gulfstream jet and a long rope, there were other ways to enjoy the day in and outside of the hangar. Coffee and lunch were available, and great music was provided by Carlos Suarez. The young, future aviators made art projects, raced pedal planes provided by the Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation, and "flew" the Wings of Hope parade float plane. 

The teams began arriving prior to the 11:00 A.M. start time and flowed in as their pull time drew near. Wings of Hope volunteers performed the registration duties along with the other roles needed for a fun and safe event, including tug driver, timers, team prep and start/stop signaling among others. Here we show Wings of Hope President, Amy Cole Buehler, and Brittni Snidle, Director of Development and Communications, giving their welcoming remarks and plane pull directions.

The plane pull began with Team 1, Fabick Cat, at 11:00 A.M. and Team 11, Hockey Heroes for Hope, finished the last and winning pull (under 15 seconds) by 1:00 P.M. Each team had two pulls, with the best (lowest) time as the score of record. Here we include a sample of the teams during their plane pulls.

The Aero Experience thanks the teams, event and team sponsors, and Wings of Hope volunteers for making this event possible!