Poland 6th-grader is Pilot for a Day at air base

VIENNA

Less than a week after May Day (May 1), 12-year-old Celina Dennis found herself speaking with the nearby air-traffic-control tower from a C-130H Hercules cargo aircraft, though none of her communications included a mayday.

“I had a checklist and got to talk on the radio,” the Poland McKinley Elementary School sixth-grader explained. “The pilot asked me a bunch of questions and said, ‘Are you ready to start the plane and taxi around?’ and I said, ‘Yes, sir.’”

Celina received the five-star treatment Wednesday, thanks to the 910th Airlift Wing’s 16th annual Pilot for a Day program at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station.

Sponsoring the effort financially was the nonprofit YARS Base Community Council.

The festivities for Celina and her family also included a tour of the base and an exposure to many aspects of military life. In addition, Celina was sworn in as an honorary Air Force Reserve 2nd lieutenant.

Read more about the program and her experience in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.