By James Mayse
Messenger-Inquirer
OWENSBORO, Ky. — Tyler Grant , a member of the Owensboro Fire Department , took to the skies Wednesday morning, when he was selected to fly with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels out of MidAmerica Jet.
Grant, a driver/engineer with the department, was chosen for the ride on the F-18 through the Blue Angels’ ”Key Influencer” program.
Grant was briefed for his flight early Wednesday, equipped with a helmet and Blue Angels jumpsuit and took off from the airport shortly after 11 a.m.
“I can’t wait to see Daviess County and Owensboro from this point of view,” Grant said before the flight. “It’ll be pretty awesome.”
Grant was chosen both for his role with the fire department, and because of a service he did for his family. Grant donated one of his kidneys to a sister-in-law, who recovered.
“It’s great to see her doing everything she loves to do,” Grant said.
Recovery from the surgery last year was lengthy, he said.
“I couldn’t get off the couch for six weeks,” Grant said.
When asked about the uniqueness of his kidney being a match for his sister-in-law’s, Grant said, “I think God’s got a plan, for sure.
“With the way her kidney disease was, it was a freak, genetic thing,” he said. “People ask, ‘why would God do something like that?’ but he solved the problem before it even started.”
Battalion Chief Bobby Grant , a member of the OFD command staff, said city officials asked the department leadership “if we knew anyone who would fit the criteria of being a community hero” and that Tyler Grant came immediately to mind “for his involvement in the community with public safety, and for what he did for his in-law.
“He’s a great firefighter and he’s a community hero, just like the name implies,” Bobby Grant said. “This is good for the community and especially good for Tyler and his family.”
Tyer Grant said of donating his kidney, “it comes down to the firefighting stuff, when I see something that needs to be done, why not just do it?” he said. “It seems like the right thing to do. Why wouldn’t you help somebody you could help?”
Of the flight, Grant said, “It’s super-exciting. I was thinking the way over: I hadn’t been this excited since the first time I was on my way to a structure fire. It literally matches up to that kind of intensity for me. It’s huge.”
The media flight selection was Shawn Johnson East , an Olympic gymnast who want a gold and silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics . East covered this year’s Paris Olympics for Yahoo.
“This is truly a dream come true,” East said, and that, “this is on a bucket list.”
When East received an email about coming from Nashville to Owensboro and flying with the Blue Angels, “I though it was a joke,” she said.
“The adrenaline junkie in me loves this,” East said. “I’ve jumped out of planes, I’ve been in an Indy car. I love it.”
East said she was impressed by the city’s Air Show activities.
“We are going to bring our kids back this weekend,” she said.
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