With the first-ever National Special Olympic Games taking place in Ames almost a year from now, Cessna Aircraft Company announced at a press conference Thursday it will coordinate its fifth airlift to transport athletes, coaches and sponsors to the Games next July.

Jack J. Pelton, chairman, president and CEO of Cessna, said the Des Moines International Airport will host the largest civil airlift in all of history. He said 400 Citation business jets will bring more than 2,500 participants from all over the country to next summer’s Games. A plane will land at the airport every one to two minutes for 12 straight hours, delivering their passengers where they will then board buses for transport to Ames. Each aircraft is expected to ferry between four and seven athletes including a coach or sponsor each trip.

Pelton said all the jets are being donated by their respective owners and they were also asked to donate fuel and pilots for the airlift.

“On July 1 of 2006, hundreds of enthusiastic Cessna family members in their Citation business jets will fill the skies over this fine city,” Pelton said.

Pelton said the Townsend Engineering jet will be the first and last plane to arrive.

“They are going to be treating those athletes to a smooth ride on the very edge of the sound barrier in their beautiful Mach 0.92 Citation 10,” he said.

Pelton said Ted Townsend, owner of Townsend Engineering and a partner in this undertaking, was the first Cessna owner to donate his aircraft.

“We are honored and more than grateful to be a part of this wonderful movement today,” Townsend said.

“There are many good causes on Earth, and the experience one has when you meet the athletes, and you understand who they are and what they do with the challenges they’ve been given in life along with their opportunities, it’s impossible not to be inspired and motivated to participate in some fashion. That’s what we found with Special Olympics.

“Cessna was the vehicle that gave us that opportunity and we are forever grateful to Jack and his whole team for that.”

“We applaud Cessna and their Citation aircraft owners for providing this wonderful service and experience to our Special Olympic athletes,” said Bruce Pasternack, president and CEO of Special Olympics, Inc.

“Cessna’s leadership in corporate philanthropy will provide more athletes with the chance to showcase their abilities at a national level, which means in turn, that more lives will be transformed through changed attitudes about people with intellectual disabilities.”