On Sunday, Bianca Pagel-Miller, her mom and her younger brother walked through security at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, strolled through the C gate and boarded a waiting Alaska Airlines jet. Bianca, a jubilant 10-year-old, carried a carefully packed backpack and a stuffed animal, which she showed off to flight attendants.
They weren't actually flying anywhere -- the plane taxied and returned to the gate without leaving the ground -- but Bianca's first time on an airplane was a milestone all the same.
The Pagel-Millers rarely travel by air because the rigid procedures, unpredictable timetables, bright lights and loud sounds of airports and airplanes can be intensely stressful and overwhelming for children who, like Bianca, have autism.
The possibility of one of her two children diagnosed with autism becoming distressed and possibly disruptive in an airplane has been enough to keep the family from attempting to fly, said Rami Pagel-Miller, Bianca's mom.
"We have never been on a family vacation before," she said. "I mean, it's difficult for us to go to a restaurant."
Sunday's trip to the airport was a planned "rehearsal" for about 100 people, family members included, organized and sponsored by The Arc of Anchorage, a nonprofit that serves families of children with autism and intellectual or developmental disabilities.
The airport dry runs, called Wings for Autism, have been held across the country by other chapters of the organization. The goal is to get children and adults with autism comfortable with the travel process in a low-stress, low-stakes rehearsal where no actual plane ticket is involved. A successful experience, the organizers hope, might open the door to travel.
The Arc of Anchorage sponsored its first Wings for Autism day in the spring. It was so popular The Arc decided to have a second one, said spokeswoman Jacquelyn McGary. It partnered with Alaska Airlines, the airport and the federal Transportation Safety Administration for the event, along with the Alaska Autism Resource Center.
The rehearsals also serve another purpose, McGary said.
"It also gives it a rehearsal try for employees in the industry, because those that are on the flight get to work with the individuals and get a sense of what their issues are," she said.
When organizers polled the families that registered for Sunday's event, the most common potential trouble spots identified included fears around the security and screening process, waiting in lines, being around crowds, participating in an unfamiliar experience and being in a confined space.
A representative from The Arc was on hand to pass out laminated cards that spelled out in words and pictures every step of the airplane boarding process -- useful for children and adults who might like to know, in concrete terms, what they can expect next.
At Sunday's event, participants checked in at an Alaska Airlines ticket counter for special boarding passes, headed through a TSA security checkpoint and boarded a Boeing 737.
Alaska Airlines captain Craig Huffman taxied the jet around the runways and accelerated enough to simulate the noise of a takeoff. Pilots "fight" to participate in the event, said Alaska Airlines Anchorage station manager Bridget Thompson.
"I love it," Huffman said. "I love helping people travel."
As participants walked off the plane, they were greeted with a celebratory reception, snacks included, in the terminal.