Wyoming Pilot With ALS Honored At Casper Airport

John D'Onofrio was pursuing his dreams as a professional pilot by doing everything from towing banners through the air to dropping skydivers.

He moved to Casper in 2008 to take a job as a pilot with FedEx.

His dreams and his dream job were cut short when he was diagnosed with ALS.

His last flight for FedEx was on October 1, 2024.

But he still had one more flight scheduled on his work schedule.

As his ALS progressed John found himself spending most of his time in a wheelchair and needed portable oxygen.

His friends and family thought that he needed some cheering up.

But also a chance to let him know that he was not alone in the fight of this life.

On a late Saturday afternoon, they took him to Atlas Flight School, at the Casper/ Natrona County Airport for that one last flight he had missed.

Two Cessna 172s were pulled from the hangers at Atlas Flight School.

One would carry a pilot, John, and his son, the other would be the "chase plane."

They carefully loaded John into the plane. His son was in the back seat behind his father. John's wife, Andrea, watched with tearful smiles.

A FedEx truck was parked nearby to show the company's appreciation.

Andrea invited a few people.

She had no idea that so many would show up to watch and express their love and friendship for her husband.

For the first time in a couple of weeks the winds at Wyoming's windiest airport calmed and the tower cleared them for adventure.

Their progress was watched from inside the lobby of Atlas Flight School on a big screen.

The two small planes headed south of Casper Mountain, then down toward the canyon between Muddy Mountain and Reno Hill.

After an hour, the tracker showed that they were turning back and the crowd moved outside to watch.

John would later say that the air above those mountains where the smoothest he had ever experienced.

We could see their lights approaching the airport in the evening sky.

A handheld radio tuned into the tower frequency to let everyone hear what the two pilots were planning next.

How could they just simply come in and land at a moment like this?

This would be the warmest welcome John had ever seen.

Two airport firetrucks were standing by to provide a water arch to taxi through, which might have been the first bath that plane had in a long time.

But they weren't done.

N3363E then turned and faced the runway, waiting for the chance plane, which flew a low pass, rocked its wings for John, they launched up into the sky with a hard left bank.

Back inside the lobby of Atlas Flight School friends, coworkers, and family spent time with John, knowing that this might be the last time they see him.

ALS can progress quickly.

The following was posted on Facebook, Wyoming Neurological Association.

I just did not know there would be so many people here, said Andrea.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to the loss of motor neuron function and eventually muscle weakness and paralysis.

 TOGETHER, We Can Make a Big Difference for the D’Onofrio Family

As many of you know, the D’Onofrio family is facing an incredibly tough battle with ALS.

We’ve all been looking for ways to help, and with the permission of John, Andrea, and Will, we believe we’ve come up with a simple idea that can truly make a difference.

These hats were sold to help raise money for John's care. The signature on it was John's last signature from his job at FedEx.

Here’s how you can help:

Each month, we will post a Venmo QR code reminder across social media, asking for a $10 GIFT. It’s just $10 (about the cost of a lunch) but when a whole community comes together, it becomes something much bigger.

If 100 people gifted $10, that’s $1,000 each month to help with medical bills, equipment, soccer fees, and other expenses.

It might not seem like much on its own, but together, it will make a real impact and lighten their load.

100% of the money gifted will go DIRECTLY into the family’s bank account.

We are a small community with a big heart.

Together, we can help ease the burden of this journey and show John, Andrea, and Will that they’re not alone.

Thank you for your kindness, love, and support. 💙

Please send a Venmo gift if you are able and please share or copy and paste this post on your page!

#TogetherForJohn #ALS #WeAreFamily #CommunityLove

Venmo: @andiedawnb