Groveland Twp.- Sometimes Santa Claus can use a little help flying through the air.
Pilot and Groveland Township resident Clay Elliott was one of those helpers Dec. 2 as he helped load his own private 4-seater Cessna 182 airplane with 100 pounds of bulky, brightly wrapped Christmas presents and then flew the gift-laden plane from Oakland County International Airport in Pontiac to Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti (seven miles west of Detroit Metro Airport).
The mission was part of ‘Operation Good Cheer,? which provides gifts to infants, children, teenagers, and disabled adults, all of whom are in foster care. The program is coordinated by Child and Family Services of Michigan, Inc.
‘The packages are going to more rural areas,? said Elliott. ‘If the weather was bad, they’d have to do it by trucks and it would take longer. Operation Good Cheer utilizes private aircraft to expedite the delivery of packages to underprivileged adults and children.?
Elliott, 60, is a pilot for Pentastar Aviation and has been flying planes for 35 years. This was his second year flying for Operation Good Cheer, which was started in 1971.
This year, said Elliott, more than 100 pilots transported 13,600 gifts to 16 airports around the state, including ones in Marquette, Alpena, and Big Rapids, where the gifts would be moved to trucks and transported to area participating agencies to be distributed to 5,000 individuals.
‘It’s a good amount under the Christmas tree,? said Elliott, who added there were hundreds of bicycles that were taken in commercial jets and ‘stacks and stacks of gifts.?
‘It makes you feel good and it makes you smile. There’s a lot of goodwill at Christmastime. I don’t feel like Santa, just like I’m doing something for the community… I plan to continue. It’s fun.?