The tagline for this blog begins with the words “aviation” and “autism,” and to say the least it is difficult to find ways of integrating the two topics. A company called “Air Hollywood” has now made it easy.
Air Hollywood is not an airline per se; it is, as their name might suggest, kind of a fictitious, Hollywood airline. Their business focuses on providing sets for the entertainment industry, including interiors of any kind of airplane you can imagine, cockpits, terminals, gates, etc., as well as stock footage and almost anything imaginable that is needed for movies and is aviation-related. You have seen their work in films such as “Flight,” “Wolf of Wall Street,” and “Kill Bill” as well as hundreds of others.
Recently, Air Hollywood took on a new project. They have decided to offer classes on preparing children and adults for the entire commercial-aviation related gamut of challenges that face them. Over-stimulation at check-in areas, fluorescent lights, airport waiting areas and queues, boarding airplanes, and sitting in a confined airplane, all can pose challenges to those with autism. They call their program “Open Sky for Autism,” and it is being offered for free. It promises to help acclimate those with autism by using supervised repetition during simulations of airport arrival, ticketing, check-in, baggage check, TSA screening, boarding, in-flight simulation, and deboarding. They even do one better than the “real” airlines, and offer complimentary lunch and refreshments! Their opening event is scheduled for April 5th. Here’s the link: http://airhollywood.com/opensky/
If you have been following either this or my last blog for a while, you know that I am more than intrigued by people who do good things when they don’t have to. I don’t know the folks at Air Hollywood, but I do know that for whatever their reasons they have decided to do something good for a chunk of humanity that needs it, something that is frankly difficult to do and outside what a typical therapeutic agency or clinic has the means to do.
Every religious tradition with which I am familiar preaches charity. Growing up, I learned that the yields on the corners of each of your agricultural fields should be left for the hungry and poor. I applaud any company that uses its resources to do good.