Dream flights soar into Waupaca Airport

WAUPACA – The Waupaca airport was recently buzzing with a program that gives veterans a chance to fly in a vintage military, open cockpit plane.
The program is called Dream Flights, and their mission is to give personal honor flights to those that have served in the military, and June 22 became the Waupaca Airport’s turn to host the organization.
The non-profit organization started in 2011 by Darryl and Carol Fisher, according to www.dreamflights.org.
Brad Schnell, a representative from Dream Flights, said the organization partners with local congregate living facilities to connect veterans with the honor flights.
“It’s an opportunity to honor their service and what they’ve given to us,” Schnell said.

This year the organization honored nine veterans from the Waupaca area, including residents from King Veteran’s Home, Bethany Home and Park Vista.
The plane used is a 1940s Boeing Stearman biplane, which was an aircraft used to train fighter pilots and later became decommissioned and used as a crop duster, Schnell said.
The organization started with two planes and currently is up to eight planes that are used throughout the entirety of the United States.
One of the veterans to take a flight was Robert Schaefer, a resident of the King’s Veteran’s Home, said he had always dreamed of riding in an open cockpit plane.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this before,” Schaefer said.
Schaefer said he served in the Army for four years.
Schnell said his favorite part of working with this organization is hearing the stories of the veterans, one of whom was Ted Newkumet.
Newkumet was the first veteran to take a flight June 22.
Casey Brown, director of life enrichment at Bethany, said Newkumet joined the military at only 16 years old, where he was a part of D-Day.
The underage soldier went home after World War II and re-joined the military when he became of age, where he was deployed overseas three times, including a deployment to Korea.
Any WWII veterans that take the dream flight get to sign the tail of the plane, which Newkumet was able to do.
More information on Dream Flights can be found at www.dreamflights.org.