Participant FAQs
Q: Is there a minimum age requirement to participate?
A: Yes. To comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety guidelines, ALL passengers must be at least 5 years old and weigh at least 40 pounds to fly with us during this event.
Q: Why must a parent or guardian accompany my child during the flight?
A: For safety, we require each special needs child to be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian who is capable of caring for any needs the child might have during the flight. This ensures that the pilots will be able to give full attention to the safe operation of the aircraft.
Q: My special needs child has brothers and sisters. Can they fly too?
A: The goal of this event is to fly as many special needs children as possible. While we would love to be able to fly the entire family along with the special needs child, we are not able do that and meet our goal with our limited volunteer resources. One extra family member may be listed on your registration as a standby passenger and may be allowed to fly on a space available basis. In cases of a family unit with, for example, two parents and two children, we suggest that one parent and the two children go (with the other parent staying on the ground, taking photos, etc) to allow both children to experience the joys of the opportunity. Unfortunately due to limited space availability we cannot offer an absolute guarantee that these standby passengers will be able to fly.
Q: At past events, you have accommodated large family groups on flights. Why are you no longer doing that?
A: Over the years our event has grown in popularity. While we would love to be able to fly entire families together to help share in their child’s special experience, we have found that is no longer practical given our limited volunteer resources and operational capacity at the airport. We have decided that the best use of our resources is to give as many special needs children the opportunity to fly. We appreciate your understanding.
Q: When and where do we go for our child’s flight?
A: Signature Flight Support at Opa-locka Airport. They are located at 15001 NW 42nd Ave, Opa-locka. We will be flying throughout the day. During the week before the event you will be contacted and assigned a time slot for you to arrive at the airport for your flight. This is an attempt to minimize the wait time for your flight. If you have any specific time requirements, please let us know when you register and we will do our best to accommodate your request. Please make sure you leave us good contact phone numbers and e-mail address so that we can advise you of this vital information. We welcome you and your family to come earlier than your assigned time but please keep in mind that does not necessarily mean that you will fly earlier than planned.
Q: What kind of plane will my child fly in?
A: Our volunteer pilots donate the use of a variety of aircraft. In years past we have flown everything from small general aviation aircraft and helicopters to corporate business jets. The decision of exactly which aircraft your child flies on is done by our operations staff on the day of the event. Their decisions are based aircraft availability, minimizing wait times, and safe operation of the aircraft.
Q: What happens if the weather is bad on the day of the event?
A: Our volunteer pilots have the final call as to whether a flight departs or not. Should a decision be made that the entire event will be a “rain out,” an email will be sent to each family registered. At the same time, phone calls will also be made. Please keep in mind that weather changes often in Florida so a “passing shower” does not necessarily mean the event is cancelled.
If you have any other questions, you can contact us via e-mail at kidsday@vitalflight.org.
Important Note: Vital Flight and its volunteer pilots reserve the right to refuse to fly any passenger based upon available space, aircraft limitations, the safety of the passengers, the safety of the pilot, or the safety of the flight. Vital Flight also reserves the right to refuse a flight due to any misrepresentation made on this registration or any other form required by Vital Flight.
Participant FAQs
