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SANTA BARBARA, CA – October 10, 2025
Alpha Resource Center’s fourth annual Plane Pull returns to Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) on Saturday, October 25, 2025. This fundraiser, presented by Alaska Airlines and Matawan LLC and supported by SBA and Atlantic Aviation, benefits Alpha Resource Center, and their mission to serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Plane Pull invites community members to form teams of 10 to compete to pull a 100,000-pound Alaska Airlines 737 airplane. This year’s plane will be Alaska’s special-edition Star Wars-themed aircraft, hand-painted with the Millennium Falcon and other Star Wars characters. The competing teams will race to pull this plane for a distance of 20 feet in the fastest time possible.
Teams can sign up for one of four divisions: Public Safety Division (police officers, firefighters, military, etc.), School Division (students/school-affiliated teams), Disability Division (individuals with disabilities), or Open Division (general public). Teams can include family members, friends, co-workers, gym buddies, or other community members. The event is designed for participants of all abilities and ages.
Teams in the Public Safety and Open Division are asked to raise $1,000 to support Alpha Resource Center (or $100 per person). The School and Disability Division teams are asked to raise $500 to compete (or $50 per person). All participants will receive an event T-shirt and a chance to win a variety of prizes.
“Now in our fourth year, it’s inspiring to partner again with Alaska Airlines, Santa Barbara Airport, and Atlantic Aviation as well as the many community and business teams competing in the plane pull to raise awareness of and support for Alpha’s mission of empowering individuals with developmental disabilities throughout Santa Barbara County. They’re making a significant impact,” said Joshua Weitzman, Alpha Resource Center’s Executive Director.
Prior to the Plane Pull, Alaska will host the second annual Disability Flight Experience, offering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities a chance to practice navigating through the airport environment in a calm, supportive setting. This includes checking in at the ticket counter, screening through the TSA checkpoint, boarding a plane, and taxiing around the airfield. Space is limited; pre-registration is required.
“At Alaska Airlines, care is core to our identity, whether we’re providing care to guests on our aircraft or caring for the communities we serve,” said Danny Flores, Alaska Airlines’ Director of Station Operations, California. “The Plane Pull and the Disability Flight Experience play an important role in helping more members of the Santa Barbara community become comfortable with air travel, and we are proud to sponsor these beloved events for the fourth consecutive year.”
All Plane Pull activities will take place on the airfield at Atlantic Aviation at 1503 Cook Place. Spectators are invited to attend the event free of charge.
Plane Pull
Saturday, October 25, 2025
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Atlantic Aviation (1503 Cook Place)
Event Info | Add Event to Your Calendar
To learn more about the event or to register a team, please visit the Plane Pull website. Teams can register at any time before Saturday, October 25th or onsite at the Plane Pull on Saturday, October 25th.
Plane Pull Sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor: Alaska Airlines and Matawan LLC
Gold Sponsor: M Timm Development, Inc. and Lure Digital Agency
Silver Sponsor: Montecito Bank & Trust and Signature Aviation
Bronze Sponsors: American Riviera Bank, Cottage Health, The Oshay Family Foundation, Paul & Virginia Hernadi, Reid & Robin Cederlof and SpaceX
Venue Sponsors: Santa Barbara Airport and Atlantic Aviation
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
Alpha Resource Center
Few local non-profits are as well-known and respected in the Santa Barbara community as Alpha Resource Center. With the belief that everyone has a valuable contribution to make, Alpha’s mission is to empower individuals with intellectual and similar developmental disabilities to make their mark on the world. Since 1953, their programs have brought ability to the forefront, and highlight potential while supporting families, creating opportunities and fostering belonging.
Media Contact:
Jeff Henson, Development Director
(805) 683-2145
About Alaska Air Group
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, and McGee Air Services is a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines. We are a global airline with hubs in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. We deliver remarkable care as we fly our guests to more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific. We’ll serve Europe beginning in spring 2026. Guests can book travel at alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com. Alaska is a member of the oneworld alliance, with Hawaiian scheduled to join oneworld in spring 2026. With oneworld and our additional global partners, guests can earn and redeem points for travel to over 1,000 worldwide destinations with Atmos Rewards. Learn more about what’s happening at Alaska and Hawaiian at news.alaskaair.com. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as “ALK.”
Media Contact:
Atlantic Aviation
Atlantic Aviation in Santa Barbara proudly serves the SBA Airport and the Santa Barbara community. Atlantic is a leading provider of fixed base operation (FBO) services offering customers more than 105 FBO locations across North America. Atlantic Aviation’s facilities each provide a full suite of services to the business aviation sector covering a wide range of aircraft ground handling, all with a strong cultural focus on creating a highly engaging customer experience for passengers and crews. Atlantic Aviation is a sustainability leader in the industry with ongoing initiatives and establishing advanced air mobility infrastructure to provide for eVTOL aircraft when they begin service. Learn more at https://www.atlanticaviation.com/.
