TUCSON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ariz. - The youngest Air National Guard lieutenant has "the right stuff" when it comes to flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
"Second Lieutenant" Dominic Magne, 6, from Flagstaff, Ariz., is the 162nd Fighter Wing's newest pilot. He earned his lieutenant bar and pilot wings during a training day here at the Tucson International Airport April 17.
Dominic's wish to become a fighter pilot became reality when the wing learned about him through Dream Factory, a non-profit agency that grants dreams to critically ill children.
Dominic battles acute lymphomatic leukemia that was first diagnosed at age 2. He took a break from his treatment at Phoenix Children's Hospital to undergo pilot training at the 162nd.
"He's always liked planes and has pointed them out whenever he saw them from the window," said Susan Magne, Dominic's grandmother.
Upon arrival at the 162nd Operations Group, Dominic zipped on a flightsuit customized with wing, squadron and his name patch. His flight instructor, Maj. Scott Reinhold, instantly bestowed the call sign "Magnum" on the young trainee.
Magnum quickly oriented himself with the F-16 cockpit during egress training where he was taught how to safely eject in case of emergency.
After egress, he was briefed on night flying and how to use night vision goggles. He was deemed ready to fly by his instructor, and eagerly took to the F-16 flight simulator.
With coaching from Reinhold, Dominic became a fighter ace, shooting down three enemy aircraft and making a perfect landing on his first flight.
"He loves this," said Tammy Peña, Dominic's grandmother. "He loves video games and the XBOX 360 he usually plays won't be the same after today. He's in heaven right now thanks to the Air National Guard."
On the flightline, Dominic rode out to the tarmac in a P-19R fire truck sounding the horn and spraying water in celebration of his successful simulator flight. From an observation booth next to the runway he watched several F-16 low approaches and landings.
Once back at the ops group, Dominic was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Arizona Air National Guard in front of a standing-room-only crowd of family and Guardmembers.
Col. Jose Salinas, Operations Group commander, administered the oath, "I, Dominic Magne, do honestly promise to do my best, to be a good fighter pilot, to be courageous and strong, and to be a good brother to every fighter pilot, to the best of my abilities, so help me God."
To commemorate the achievement, the wing presented "Lieutenant" Magne with certificates, unit coins, a flight cap, a customized helmet and oxygen mask, an F-16 model airplane and numerous other gifts.
"He'll wear that helmet and mask 24/7," said Peña. "He'll even want to sleep in it."
"He's been going though a lot of radical treatments and we got word about his dream to become a fighter pilot and set it up with the Guard who was good enough to coordinate all of this with a week's notice," said Leslie Beatty, Dream Factory coordinator. "The Guard has been so gracious and the level of detail is tremendous. This will help keep his mind off the treatments he will go through."
To complete his training day, Dominic and Reinhold climbed into an F-16 cockpit for a towed ride around the flightline. The plane had Dominic's name painted on the cockpit canopy.
According to the major, the whole base came together to make this dream come true. Security Forces provided a siren escort to welcome Dominic to the base, Maintenance painted his name on an F-16, Life Support supplied customized helmet and mask, the fire house provided an exhilarating ride, and countless others took care of other details to make the day special.
"It's humbling to think that a kid like Dominic wanted to spend time with us when he could have chosen anything he wanted," said Reinhold. "I feel honored to have spent time with him today."
"Dominic is one of us now," said Salinas. "He is always welcome here."