LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — Nearly 700 elementary students in the Hickman Mills School District spent Thursday in a different type of classroom.
Take Flight KC hosted its eighth annual Fly Day, which puts on an exclusive airshow by Flight KC at Lee's Summit Municipal Airport and gives students the chance to check out different types of airplanes.
Take Flight KC is a nonprofit organization that supports children and adults with disabilities by putting on inclusive events throughout the year.
Take Flight KC Board President Austen Plain said the idea for Fly Day started when a teacher told him many of her students had never flown in a plane or even seen one.
"This is a way for all of us on the Board to give back to the children of Hickman Mills," Plain said. "We love the kids and we love flying, so this is a good day."
Plain said the event has grown quite a bit during the last few years. It now includes the Lee's Summit Fire Department, the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department Helicopter Unit.
Plain said he hopes the day creates lasting memories for the students and inspires them.
"I've had children over the years that have tugged on my shirt and said they want to be a pilot and that warms my heart," Plain said.
