Go Behind the Scenes with Adopt-A-Pilot
The Adopt-A-Pilot program officially runs from February to May, but did you know that it takes a year of planning to prepare for those exciting four months?
For the Adopt-A-Pilot Crew, preparation for February’s kick-off begins in February of the previous year! The Crew begins brainstorming ideas of how to make the program bigger and better every year. Because the program is free to schools and costs must stay very low, The Crew spends a lot of time negotiating prices for program supplies, as well as determining and developing cost-saving alternatives. Surveys are sent out at the end of every Adopt-A-Pilot season to all participating Pilots and Teachers. Those surveys help determine the direction for the next year’s program.
One of the biggest projects The Crew takes on is the January mail-out of all the program supplies to every Pilot and school participating in the program. More than 33,000 curriculum booklets are printed for students, teachers, and Pilots! This year, the Crew - with a lot of help from a lot of friends at Southwest's headquarters in Dallas, Texas - sent out more than 2,000 boxes to schools and Pilots across the country. Take a look at some of the photos from the mail out.
With a shipment this big, things aren't always smooth sailing, but we're working each year to make it better. Do you have ideas on how to make the program even better next year? Let us know!
