The Story Behind The Modified Falcon Business Jets That Bring America's Fallen Heroes Home
An inside look at how one of the most challenging, heart-wrenching, and critical aviation missions in the country gets done.
By Tyler Rogoway October 1, 2021
The War Zone
Tyler Rogoway View Tyler Rogoway's Articles
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For airplane spotters, it's always exciting to see a rare plane in a special paint job appear at your hometown airport. But for one cadre of very special aircraft, their arrival comes with a far more solemn realization. The aircraft I am referring to are a handful of modified Falcon 20 business jets operated by a prolific family-owned charter and aviation services company located on Willow Run Airport, in Ypsilanti, Michigan—Kalitta Charters. Over the last decade and a half, these aircraft and their dedicated flight crews have been exclusively tasked with one of the most challenging but critical aviation missions in the country — one that comes with an immense emotional toll — the dignified transfer of America's fallen heroes.
After 20 years of perpetual war abroad, Americans have become all-too-accustomed to seeing images of flag-draped coffins being offloaded from military transport aircraft at Dover Air Force Base. But what most don't see is what comes next — how the remains of those service people actually make it to their families and friends, who await their return in emotionally shattered states in small towns and cities scattered around the country. That is where Kalitta's dedicated crews and their decades-old Falcon jets come in to play.
I reached out to Kalitta to see if the company would be willing to give us a firsthand perspective of these extremely challenging operations, including background on the aircraft that supports it and on how the crews have been able to cope doing it for all these years.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42591/the-story-behind-the-modified-falcon-business-jets-that-bring-americas-fallen-heroes-home
