Wings of Hope Young Ambassadors Host Plane Wash Fundraiser for International Humanitarian Aviation Programs

By Carmelo Turdo

 Wings of Hope hosted their fifth annual plane wash fundraiser on Saturday, July 23, at their Spirit of St. Louis Airport facility. The Wings of Hope Young Ambassadors, volunteers from the Boeing Company and members of Alpha Eta Rho, the international professional college aviation fraternity with students from St. Louis University, spent the day washing twelve aircraft while raising funds to support international humanitarian aviation programs.

The volunteers gathered for their briefing just before 9:00 A.M. and quickly started work on their first aircraft, a Cessna 172, after it was positioned in front of the Wings of Hope hangar. As each additional aircraft was parked in assembly line fashion, the teams went to work: belly washers, sprayers, scrubbers, dryers and of course the waxers. On the apron were the "experts," those charged with moving the aircraft and covering the static ports and pitot tubes prior to the wash. Others worked the check-in table and provided refreshments for the visiting pilots. The event was also the first one coordinated by the new Wings of Hope Global Programs Manager, Wafa Osman.

The next Wings of Hope Young Ambassadors event, Taste of Hope, will be held September 17 at the Wings of Hope hangar at Spirit of St. Louis Airport.