120 volunteer pilots fly 800 Special Olympics athletes to Minnesota for free in VIP style

A little rain wasn't going to ruin the parade of joy at the St. Paul Downtown Airport on Friday. 

Starting in the morning and lasting through the evening, private jet after private jet touched down. All of them were carrying ecstatic passengers ready to achieve their dreams.

It's called the Special Olympics Airlift, a massive volunteer effort to fly athletes and coaches to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games for free in VIP fashion. The games are being hosted in the Twin Cities this year. More than 3,000 athletes from 50 states will compete, but only about 800 athletes were lucky enough to fly as part of the airlift.  

Upon landing, they were greeted with a hero's welcome of cheering crowds, photographers, booming music and a red-carpet entrance to a hangar. Jaeden Clampet and her friend Chloe Clements from Oklahoma are competing in cornhole.

"I really enjoyed getting to see what it was like being on a private jet, and also I enjoyed seeing all the people waving," said Clampet. "It was just like absolutely wonderful."

Their excitement led to a not-so-often-seen emotion from coach Joseph Schwabe. 

"For big guys, we don't admit it, but it brings a tear a little bit sometimes," Schwabe said.

Textron Aviation, the manufacturer behind Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft, has been coordinating the airlift since the late 1980s. Ron Draper, the company's president and CEO, said it started when Special Olympics athletes in the company's home state of Kansas needed help getting to the games. 

"We borrowed some airplanes from customers and got the athletes there, but it spawned the idea that perhaps we should do an on-purpose type of event to get them there every four years," Draper said.

Friday's event was the ninth Special Olympics Airlift, totaling more than 10,000 athletes flown. It operates like a well-oiled machine. As soon as one plane finished unloading passengers, another was right behind it. More than 120 planes participated, arriving every three to four minutes. The flight time, fuel and pilots are all donated.

"We roll the red carpet out for them and treat them like true VIPs that they are," said pilot Dusty Boren, who flew one of the teams from Oklahoma. 

Friday marked Boren's first time participating in the airlift, and he's looking forward to doing so again in four years. 

"I get to play a small role sharing aviation with them ... I love getting to be a part of that," he said.

The unforgettable flight sets the stage for a week to remember. The games run from June 20 through June 26 with the opening ceremony on Saturday night. Events will be held on the University of Minnesota campus and at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

"I just think of our Special Olympics motto, 'Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt,'" said Clements. "I'm here for the gold, but also here just to be with my best friend, Jaeden."

To see a schedule of the games' events, click here.