Miracle on Runway One-Four

Pilots for Christ Maryland is reaching out to other pilots in the Mid-Atlantic region to help airlift presents for patients receiving care at The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health.

The airlift, known as “Miracle on Runway One-Four,” will involve pilots and general aviation aircraft departing from various airports across the Mid-Atlantic and arriving at Montgomery County Airport (KGAI) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, at 11 a.m. Dec. 17, 2022.

But the work begins now, as members of Pilots for Christ are collaborating with local businesses, such as Commonwealth Aviation, a Manassas-based flight school, to collect donations and organize volunteer aircraft for the airlift.

“Our goal is to use our ability to fly to serve those in need,” Pilots for Christ Maryland President Michael McFadden said. “We are organizing the airlift and using our abilities to fly to help share hope and joy for the families receiving treatment at NIH this holiday season.”

Those interested in purchasing gifts for children staying at the Children’s Inn at NIH can do so by donating to Pilots for Christ, marking their donations as “Airlift” here.

Donations will be loaded into volunteer aircraft and flown to Montgomery County Airport on Dec. 17.

“We hope that this airlift can be the first of many, and we can expand our services to patients and people in need of care more in the future,” McFadden said.