2026 Dulles Plane Pull® FAQs

The 2026 event will be held Saturday, August 22, 2026.

Yes! We are excited to welcome volunteers needed to make this even run smoothly. More details coming soon.

Thank you for your interest! We could not host such a successful event each year without our generous corporate partners. The Plane Pull® is a great event to give your organization great exposure while also supporting PLANE amazing community organization. Event sponsorship information is coming soon. Please contact to Ellen Head to schedule a meeting to learn how to support the over 23,000 athletes of Special Olympics Virginia.

The 2026 event will continue to occur in the cargo area of Dulles International Airport and all volunteers and event participants will enter the event in this area. As a reminder the event is a pull only event this year and is closed to the public.

Parking information will be available closer to the event.

Yes! We are encouraging participants to take Metro to Dulles Day. The event can be reached at via the Silver Line. Attendees should get off at the typical Dulles Airport stop and proceed to the garage exit to take the shuttle to the event. Please remember that we have a stadium bag policy so Metro riders that do not bring a clear bag will need to dispose of it or return home without attending the event.

Event timing details coming soon.

All teams will be able to select their pull time window once they raise the minimum donation of $2,500! A team's suggested event arrival time will be based on the scheduled pull time. More information will be available closer to the event.

Please note: We have a stadium bag policy! This means that no bags over 5x7, backpacks, coolers, firearms, knives, weapons, balloons or pets (unless service animals) are allowed. Baby bags and bags for medical purposes are allowed but must be hand searched. Firearms and other weapons are only to be in possession by on duty, uniformed members of law enforcement. All event attendees must pass through security prior to admission, so please prepare for a potential delay at entry.

No need to check bags when coming to IAD for the Plane Pull! Due to the high security of the event space, bags are not allowed unless for emergency, medical care purposes. Participants should leave all bags inside their car or at home if taking the metro. If participants need to bring in a small 5x7 bag or clear bag they should build in extra time as it will need to be searched at security at the event entrance.

Full personal water bottles are not allowed but empty ones are! We will have plenty of water for sale on site as well as ways to fill your refillable water bottle. Forgot it at home? No worries! We have refillable water bottles for sale.

In addition, hats and sunscreen are encouraged. If there is rain in the forecast, ponchos and umbrellas are a must! We also suggest that all participants bring gloves with them for their turn to pull.

Anyone can create a team! A company, a club, a school, etc. That said, individuals cannot participate with a team that they are not connected with. If you are interested in the event but cannot create a team please reach out to learn about volunteering!

Team captains or their representative have the ability to pick up their team incentives on August 20 and August 21 from noon to 4 pm at our partner hotel, the Westin Washington Dulles. Details about this will be sent to team captains closer to the event. Team captains can also pick up their box of incentives at the event. We recommend that you do send someone on the 20 or 21 as the large box of incentives may be hard to carry and participants may want their items in advance to wear to the event.

Details coming soon!

This event is rain or shine but the event may be canceled due to extreme weather for your own safety. Any schedule updates will be posted to the homepage.

As the event nears, team captains are asked to select their competition window in the order each team met the $2,500 donation minimum. Scheduled pull times are approximate windows. If you are uncertain when your team is pulling, please reach out to your team captain to confirm when you will be competing.

The magic number of people that we know can pull a plane successfully is 25. Teams are welcome to come with as little as 10 people. We will have volunteers and our athletes fill the ranks to get you to 25. Teams can have as many as 35 people fit on the rope. If a team has more than 35 people interested in participating we suggest that they create 2 teams!

Please note, teams of 25 or less are considered "competitive teams" and are in the running to win the fastest pull competition. Teams of over 25 members would be pulling just for fun which many teams choose to do.

The Plane Pull® is open to anyone who registers, so grab your friends, coworkers, family or anyone who wants to join in this meaningful fun. Corporate teams and organizations are encouraged to join, and sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Ellen Head.

Yes! Every person that plans to pull the plane August 22 must register online with their team prior to arriving on-site at the event. This will ensure that your team will be able to pull on time and not miss your window. Anyone that shows up day of that has not already registered will be required to do so at the event and can slow up the check in process. If your team needs assistance with the registration process prior to the event, please reach out to Emily!

Teams must raise a minimum of $2,500 to participate in Plane Pull®, which is only $100/person! Teams that raise $7,500 by July 1 will receive custom backs on 25 event t-shirts. So set your goal SKY high to make a big impact on the lives of the over 23,000 Special Olympics Virginia athletes.

Check out all of or PLANE awesome incentives!

Teams who want to guarantee their spot on the ropes before raising the minimum donation can fill out a credit card authorization form. If the minimum donation is raised by a month post event the card on file will not be charged.

All "offline" funds can be sent to the Special Olympics Virginia Richmond Office.
Special Olympics Virginia
Attn: Plane Pull
11350 Random Hills Rd
Suite 540
Fairfax, VA 22032

In order for them to count towards your event day total, they must be received in the office by August 1. Funds may also be turned at team check in on event day.
*Please note that if your team plans to do so, please arrive early so it does not cause you to miss your pull time window.

If your Plane Pull® team doesn’t raise the full $2,500, you can charge the remaining balance to a team member’s credit card by filing out this form. Special Olympics will charge your card 30 days after the event to give your team additional time to fundraise the remaining balance if you choose so nothing may need to be charged to the card!

If your team raises the partial or full donation amount but does not compete, your current donation amount on the day of the event will still be collected to support Special Olympics Virginia’s athletes. Thank you!

Special Olympics Virginia provides year-round health, fitness, sports training and competition, education and leadership opportunities. to more than 23,000 athletes in Virginia, all year round at no cost to athletes. Check out our Reach Report.

Teams should find a gathering spot inside the event to meet up prior to presenting themselves at team check in. Please reach out to your team captain for specific plans. Some teams have had the PLANE amazing idea of making a fun and noticeable team sign to hold up to get everyone's attention. Please note, while signs or flags are ok, balloons are not.

If there are members of your team who have not yet registered, please let them know that they MUST register for your team at www.planepull.com prior to check in. Anyone who neglects to do so will be required to do so during the check in process which can delay your team’s pull.

Team check in will be located in multiple tents inside the event near the planes being pulled. Please gather as a team before presenting yourself to one of the check in tents. At team check in, each member MUST individually check in. At check in, teams will have the opportunity to turn in all last minute donations for your team’s fundraising efforts. If your team captain did not attend early team check in, if you are receiving a box of team shirts, your team captain can pick it up here.