Pilot for A Day given grand tour

  • Published
  • By SrA. Alexander Brown
  • 439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. --  A New York state family arrived to tour Westover Oct. 1.

At first glance, this family was like many others: a mother, father, three boys and one girl. But a closer look revealed the two older brothers are twins. Judging from their outgoing and positive outlook, the last thing one would expect to learn about this family is that it had been through the near-loss of one of their children. William and Alex Bullis, suffered from a rare condition only affecting twins.

While pregnant with the twins, Carla Bullis was diagnosed with a blood clot disorder, which caused loss of circulation in the lower half of William's body.

At one point, his organs were beginning to shut down and his lungs collapsed. William eventually gained blood flow down to his ankles, but doctors had to amputate his feet. This never slowed William's drive in life, Carla Bullis said, and this attitude helped him earn a spot in the Pilot for A Day program.

During the October UTA's persistently rainy weather, Patriot Wing reservists provided 13 year-old William and his family upclose visits to the base's core operational areas. During Westover's third Pilot for a Day program, William saw much of the base's mission -- and he got to wear some military gear too. Col. Steven Vautrain, 439th Airlift Wing commander, presented William an aviator's jacket -- complete with a set of "wings" above the pocket. William toured the control tower and the fire station, saw a weapons training demonstration by security forces, and ate lunch at the Westover Club.

The rain kept coming down in the afternoon, but William's determination only went up. He climbed up and down the stairs of the C-5. He "flew" the C-5 simulator in Hawaii, New York and Alaska.

He not only learned about what goes aboard the C-5, he learned how it is placed on the jet too. Capt. Susan McSpadden showed him how to work the chains to hold cargo in place. Capt.McSpadden, his C-5 pilot escort and former loadmaster, provided a tour of the aircraft to William and his family.

The Pilot for a Day program invites children of all ages to be guests at military bases. It is designed to bring hope and cheer to a child who is undergoing serious medical issues. This was the third such tour at Westover since November 2010.

At the end of the day, William and his family came to the Base Hangar for Commander's Call, where Col. Vautrain presented a plaque and coin to him. Following a sharp salute to the commander, William walked off the stage to a standing ovation from more than 1,000 reservists.