Emil “Batman” Conley and his family, of Lee’s Summit, toured Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster on July 19 as part of the “Pilot for a Day” program.
A news release says the program is a collaboration between members of Whiteman and the staff of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The partnership gives children who are suffering from a variety of diseases and disorders the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tour Whiteman and step in the shoes of a B-2 Spirit pilot.
Conley has medulloblastoma, which is the most common malignant brain tumor for children, and accounts for about 20 percent of all childhood brain tumors.
The Batman-themed tour included a variety of activities for the family, which included a ride in the B-2 simulator, a visit with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team and to the firehouse, as well as a military working dog demonstration.
The program hasn’t been around long, however it has already afforded two families the opportunity to tour Whiteman. It is primarily led by Capt. Zachery Ziegler, a B-2 instructor pilot assigned to the 393rd Bomb Squadron, and his wife Lily; along with Senior Airman Corale Griffith, an aviation resource management journeyman, assigned to the 393rd Bomb Squadron. They collaborate with organizations with units throughout the base to make tours like this possible.
Photo: Airman 1st Class Henry Schuermann, Firefighter, 509th Civil Engineer Squadron, teaches Emil “Batman” Conley and his father, Marcus, from Lee Summit, how to shoot water out of a fire truck during the “Pilot for a Day” tour on July 19, at Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster. Emil received a flight suit along with a patch with his call sign “Batman” the day prior at a pool party hosted by the 393rd Bomb Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Barley)