Brandon Hanechak, an eight-year-old with a bone deficiency and a prosthetic foot, was a Pilot for a Day at Westover ARB, Massachusetts, on 2 October 2010. Members of the 439th Airlift Wing treated the boy to a day-long tour of the base, which included driving a bomb-diffusing robot, a C-5 simulator ride, and a tour of a C-5B. The Pilot for a Day program has become a community relations fixture at military bases across the US. The program is designed to bring hope to a child who has serious medical issues. The Westover event was a joint venture between the Shiners' Hospital in Springfield, the 439th AW, the local Air Force Association chapter, and the local community military affairs council.
