On Saturday, McColley, along with nearly 30 other pilots based out of the Sierra Vista Municipal Airport and the Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix, transported three tons of gifts and food to the Navajo Nation for their 24th Annual Christmas Airlift. The planes landed at the airport in the community of Window Rock, located about 190 miles east of Flagstaff, within a mile of the border of New Mexico.
This year, the airlift had 27 planes loaded with bags full of toys, clothes and non-perishable food.
 Pilot Dick McColley puts the last bag of clothes into his airplane on Friday so he can deliver it to Window Rock. In its 24th year, the 2008 Christmas Airlift is dedicated to Betty McColley, wife of Dick McColley, who passed away in June. About 3 tons of clothes, toys and other items were flown on Saturday to the Navajo Nation by pilots in Cochise County and in the Phoenix Area. (Ed Honda-Herald/Review) |
“I think 25 is the most we’ve ever had, so we’ll be setting a record this year,” McColley said.
In addition to being able to help the needy more than ever, the airlift is special this time around for another reason.
“We’re dedicating the airlift to the memory of my wife, who passed away in June,” he said.” “She was very active in helping me start this back in ’85.”
McColley organized the event for the first time in 1985, with his wife Betty, when they lived in Phoenix.
“She worked at the state Capitol building in Phoenix,” he said. “She knew people on the reservation because they would come in there.”
Out of their desire to help the residents of the reservations, McColley was able to get members of the pilots club he was in, the Arizona Blue Sky Flyers, and together they organized the first airlift.
“We wanted to do something where we could use our airplanes to help the needy at Christmastime,” he said. “We started out, I think, that first year with eight aircraft in Deer Valley.”
McColley sends out information in September so that participating pilots can begin to collect goods for the flight.
“We collect from churches, relatives and friends, neighbors and businesses,” he said. “They all contribute if you ask.”
Pilot Jon Nelson, who marked his fifth airlift this year, said the generosity of the people involved is “quite a sight.”
“It was a very impressive, moving experience for me, to know that all these volunteers are bringing all this stuff up here,” Nelson said.
The Navajo people are appreciative of their donations, he said.
“They’ve had, in the past, some pretty moving ceremonies up there,” he said.
McColley said the pilots are just as excited about the event as the people they help.
“It’s a very, very popular airlift,” he said. “People look forward to it from one year to the next.”
Thirteen planes left from the Sierra Vista Municipal Airport, a record for the event, he said.
As successful and popular as the event has become, McColley said he doesn’t think it can get much bigger.
“We actually don’t encourage getting many more aircraft than we have this year,” he said, “just because of the parking at the airport.”
The Window Rock Airport can support only about 35 small passenger planes, he said.
“We’ve got aerial photos of the airport with all of our aircraft in there, and it’s pretty filled up.”
Herald/Review reporter Derek Jordan can be reached at 515-4680 or by e-mail at derek.jordan@svherald.com.
