As Textron Aviation gears up for the Special Olympics Airlift, it has assigned customer Coca-Cola Consolidated and its Cessna Citation XLS+ the lead callsign, Dove 1. It will be the first business jet to land on June 4 at Orlando Executive Airport as part of the airlift organized by the Wichita-based airframer.

The Charlotte, North Carolina-based bottler is one of nearly 175 Citation, Beechcraft, and Hawker owners and operators to donate the use of their aircraft, pilots, and fuel to transport Special Olympics athletes and coaches to and from the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, concluding June 12. With so many aircraft involved in the airlift, Textron Aviation works with the FAA to determine specific departure times and assign them a Dove callsign and number, which allows them to operate in priority airways that keep the airlift on schedule.

“An aircraft will take off or land approximately every two minutes during the airlift,” said Textron Aviation senior v-p of sales and flight operations Lannie O’Bannion. “It is truly a team effort that starts with the generosity of our customers.” This is the fourth time Coca-Cola Consolidated has participated in the airlift, which was first organized in 1987 by then-Cessna Aircraft. Since then, the airlift has transported more than 10,000 athletes and coaches to Special Olympics World Games and USA Games.