Join us for a free, one-of-a-kind aviation experience at Schaumburg Regional Airport on Saturday, October 17, featuring discovery flights, 30+ aircraft to explore, sensory-friendly activities, bounce houses, games with prizes, raffles, lunch, and unforgettable memories for children with autism and other developmental disabilities—and the families who love them.
Free Admission • Free Lunch • Free Discovery Flights • Family Activities
Everything included with your free fly day experience
From climbing into real airplanes to meeting pilots, enjoying lunch with your family, and making memories that will last a lifetime, every activity is completely free thanks to our incredible sponsors and volunteers.
Eligible children will have the opportunity to experience a free 15–20 minute flight aboard a volunteer aircraft alongside a parent and/or therapist. For many families, it will be a first flight they'll never forget.
Walk the flight line, climb into cockpits, meet local pilots, ask questions, and experience dozens of incredible airplanes up close. A rare opportunity most people never get.
Bounce houses, sensory-friendly activities, games, arts & crafts, and interactive experiences ensure there's something for every child to enjoy throughout the day.
Enjoy complimentary food and beverages while relaxing with your family and connecting with other members of the community thanks to our sponsors.
Throughout the event we'll be giving away exciting prizes, hosting fun activities, and creating memorable moments for children and families.
This event was created to provide a welcoming environment where children with autism and other developmental disabilities—and their families—can simply enjoy a day together without barriers.
Support on the day
Most community events try to accommodate children with autism. We built this event specifically for them.
Every volunteer supporting activities throughout the event is either a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) or another trained member of the Believing Is Achieving Autism Services or Health Docs teams. Supporting children with autism and other developmental disabilities isn't something we do once a year—it's what we do every day.
From the moment you arrive, our goal is for your family to feel comfortable, understood, and genuinely welcomed. Whether your child is eager to explore every airplane on the ramp, prefers to observe from a distance, needs extra time to warm up, or benefits from sensory-friendly supports, our team will be there to meet them where they are and help make the day a positive experience for everyone.
Presented by
Believing Is Achieving Autism Services×Holiday Airways Flight School
Schaumburg, IL
Register interest
Help us plan an unforgettable experience.
By joining our interest list, you'll be among the first to receive event updates, parking information, schedules, and details about discovery flight opportunities.
Registering also helps us plan food, activities, volunteers, and accommodations so we can create the best possible experience for every family attending.
Sponsors
Every experience at Believe Above the Clouds is made possible by sponsors who share our belief that every child deserves the chance to fly.
Presenting Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Led by Dr. James Claussen, The Health Docs specialize in neurologically focused chiropractic care for infants, children, and families, with extensive experience supporting individuals with autism, epilepsy, developmental delays, and other special needs. Through a personalized, holistic approach to care, their mission is to help every child reach their fullest potential while providing an exceptional experience for the families they serve. We're honored to partner with The Health Docs in helping make Believe Above the Clouds possible.
Learn moreGeneral Sponsors
We're honored to be building this event with a growing group of community sponsors. General sponsors will be announced here as they join us.
Interested in sponsoring? Reach out via the contact info in the footer.
FAQ
About us
Believe Above the Clouds was born from a simple belief: every child deserves the chance to experience something extraordinary.
As autism professionals, we've had the privilege of working alongside incredible children and families every day. We've celebrated milestones, witnessed remarkable growth, and learned firsthand how meaningful inclusive experiences can be—not just for the child, but for the entire family.
This event was inspired by the incredible work of Challenge Air, a non-profit whose mission of introducing children with disabilities to the joy of aviation sparked an idea: What if we could bring that same unforgettable experience to families here in the Chicagoland area?
For many children attending this event, stepping into an airplane will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In fact, many neurotypical adults never have the opportunity to fly in a small general aviation aircraft. We believe every child deserves the chance to see the world from above the clouds, experience the wonder of flight, and perhaps discover a passion they never knew they had.
Together with Holiday Airways, volunteer pilots, generous sponsors, and an incredible team of Registered Behavior Technicians and community volunteers, that vision became Believe Above the Clouds.
Our hope is that this becomes more than a single event. We hope it becomes an annual tradition that brings together families, the aviation community, and organizations that believe every child deserves the opportunity to dream big, explore new possibilities, and create memories that last a lifetime.
Founder & BCBA
Mariah founded Believing Is Achieving Autism Services with one mission: to help children with autism reach their fullest potential while supporting the families who love them. Believe Above the Clouds is an extension of that mission—creating opportunities for children to experience joy, confidence, and unforgettable memories beyond traditional therapy.
Director of Operations · Former Special Education Teacher · Pilot
As both a private pilot, former Special Education Teacher and now Director of Operations for Believing Is Achieving Autism Services, Michael saw an opportunity to combine two passions—aviation and serving children with autism. Inspired by organizations like Challenge Air, his vision was to create an event where every child could experience the excitement of aviation in a welcoming, inclusive environment.
"Together, we believe every child deserves the chance to dream bigger, explore farther, and see the world from above the clouds."
See you on the ramp.
— Mariah & Michael
