MIAMI COUNTY — Sometimes all it takes to transform a weapon of destruction to a weapon of peace is a fresh coat of paint and a new mission. For the Pink Jet, which departed Peru Friday, that coat of paint is pink, and the mission is to bring awareness to breast cancer.
The Pink Jet is a Czech trainer that has been repurposed to fly in air shows across the country. The jet is owned by Aerial Angels, a California non-profit founded by Steve Oakley and his wife, Jamie, who were inspired to form the organization after seeing friends and family battle with breast cancer.
“We have close friends who are fighting breast cancer right now, and several of my clients have gone through this. You know, it’s just something that touches almost everyone’s life, right? It’s hard to find a person that cancer in general, but specifically breast cancer, hasn’t touched,” Oakley said.
Early detection is a key factor in reducing breast cancer deaths, which is what makes raising awareness so important. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer has a 5-year relative survival rate of 99% when caught in its earliest stages.
With those statistics in mind, the Oakleys had their mission. Now, they just had to find a way to get people’s attention. That’s where the jet comes in.
Air shows such as the OshKosh AirVenture, which The Pink Jet flew at this past weekend, attract hundreds of thousands of spectators — in 2023, the show set a new record with 677,000 attendees.
“It gives us a unique way to raise awareness, you know, and this jet really symbolizes survivors. It’s a symbol of strength, compassion, hope and resilience, which really underscores every survivor,” Oakley said.
Pretty in pink
One of the largest expenses for the Aerial Angels was the painting of the jet. According to Stephanie Goetz, one of the pilots, painting an airplane can cost tens of thousands of dollars. As soon as the non-profit received their L-39 Albatros, they began looking for help with a paint job.
However, that search didn’t last long. Oakley sent an email to Barbara Baldwin, CEO of Dean Baldwin Painting, explaining his vision for The Pink Jet. Within 10 minutes, he received a response from Barbara saying they’d be happy to donate the painting of the jet.
Dean Baldwin Painting’s Peru location at Grissom Aeroplex has been open since 2013. The 156,000 square foot, full-service painting facility has 120 employees, and provides services to planes as large as the Boeing B747-8.
The Aerial Angels unveiled The Pink Jet at the Grissom Aeroplex Friday, after Dean Baldwin Painting finished the project. The team of painters was hand-picked, and the leader of the crew, Andres Cornelio Sr., was the first civilian to take a flight.
The organization called the unveiling a birthing — a symbol of the jet’s new life as a force for good. The Oakleys and Goetz all expressed their gratitude toward Dean Baldwin Painting for giving the plane the gift of an exciting future.
“We thought that it would be a great idea to kind of transform it from a weapon of destruction to a weapon of peace, and hope, and compassion,” Oakley said.
Female flyers
The jet is flown by an all-female roster of pilots, one of which is Stephanie “Boss” Goetz. She was the first to fly the plane after its fresh paint job, and also flew the plane for its public debut at AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisc.
Goetz’s mother was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer last year and went through numerous surgeries and rounds of radiation therapy before she was finally cancer-free. For Goetz, the opportunity to use her aviation skills and the platform she has developed to spread awareness for breast cancer.
“Aviation is something that is such an important part of my life, and it fills me with the most joy, happiness, elation, and adventure,” Goetz said. “My other big passion is philanthropy — giving back and helping people, especially those who are less privileged. So, to get to be able to do both of those, I just pinch myself.”
Goetz learned about the non-profit from her friend and fellow pilot Heather “Lucky” Penney. According to The Pink Jet’s website, Penney was one of the first U.S. female fighter pilots and was one of the two pilots assigned to a suicide mission on 9/11.
Penney and Col. Marc Sasseville were told to fly their jets into the rogue plane headed toward Washington D.C. The passengers on the plane ultimately overpowered the hijackers and forced them to crash the plane into a field in Pennsylvania.
Vicky Benzing is an accomplished pilot, skydiver, aerobatic performer, and air racer that has won numerous racing titles, set records, and become a sought-after pilot in air shows across the country. During her 40-year career, Benzing has logged over 10,000 flight hours and 1,300 parachute jumps.
The all-female team of pilots do more than just fly the plane, however. According to the organization’s website, the three pilot’s “flying skills, grit and courage inspire young women to reach for the skies.”
In the future, the organization hopes to add four to five more pink jets to their fleet flown by an all-female roster of aerobatic pilots. For now, The Pink Jet has a busy summer of air shows and parades — a running start to its new life.
