If you’re ever asked, “how many engineers does it take to pull a 30,000-pound airplane,” the answer, at least based on one recent fundraiser, is five.

Five of our Morrisville, NC, team members recently participated in the unique Plane Pull® competition to benefit Special Olympics North Carolina, which uses the transformative power of sports to improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Held annually at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), the event pits 5-person teams against each other to see who can collectively pull 30,000-pound plane 25 feet in the shortest amount of time.

STV’s team consisted of Anne Lenart-Redmond, transportation planning director in the Morrisville office and team captain; Neal Paschal, P.E., roadway engineer II; Weston Murphy, P.E., roadway engineer III; Patrick Livingston, P.E., senior engineering operations manager; and Andrew Parker, P.E., senior engineering operations manager.

While the team didn’t win for Fastest Pull Time, STV Engineers did come away with the prize for Best Costume. Each team member wore a long-sleeved red shirt adorned with an eye-catching airplane logo.  

This year’s Plane Pull® raised a total of $110,000 for Special Olympics North Carolina athletes.