2022-August-11

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How Many People Does it Take to Pull an 82-ton Plane?

BY JAY HORMAN · U.S. PUBLIC SECTOR SALES PROPOSAL COLLABORATION CENTER LEAD · UNITED STATES

WITH HELEN GALL

3 MINUTE READ · 5 MINUTE LISTEN

It’s a showdown: you’re standing on a runway, face to face with a Boeing 757 cargo plane weighing 82 tons.

A person outdoors wearing a Cisco shirt, raising their arms in the air

A member of Team Cisco strikes a victory pose on the runway.

The behemoth towers over you.

Can you make it budge with nothing but a rope and some friends and colleagues? Is it even possible? Do you dare?

You take a deep breath and slowly pick up the rope tied to the front of the plane. It pulls taut…

25 people, 12 feet, 20 years

This scene describes my experience at the annual Dulles International Airport Plane Pull.

Each September, teams from around Washington, D.C. compete for bragging rights at the event while raising money for Special Olympics. The 25-person team that pulls the plane 12 feet in the fastest time claims victory.

It’s just one of the events Special Olympics holds to support the estimated 200 million people with intellectual disabilities around the world.

Through the power of sports, trainings, competitions, health screenings, and fundraising events, Special Olympics helps those with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths, skills, and success.

Cisco volunteers have participated in the Dulles Plane Pull event for over 20 years now. Along the way, they’ve raised over $200,000 for Special Olympics.

This is big. Really big!

Every year, Dulles International Airport shuts down a runway for this event. Two planes park, each with a rope attached, and over 50 teams take their shot at pulling them. With thousands of spectators, the event raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for Special Olympics.

The daylong event features kid pulls, modern and vintage aircraft that visitors can explore, as well as classic cars, airport tours, and food trucks. Participants from Special Olympics are there as the honorary coaches of the plane-pulling teams.

Group of people facing pulling on a large rope tied to the front of a cargo plane.

1, 2, 3, pull! Volunteers from Team Cisco pull a 757 cargo plane down the runway at Dulles airfield.

Meet Chuck: The man, the myth, the plane-pulling mastermind

Chuck Schoch, systems architect on the U.S. Federal Sales team, saw a sign for one of the first plane pull events and said to his team, “We can do that.”

If you’ve met Chuck, you know he means it.

He’s the mastermind of Team Cisco’s Dulles Plane Pull strategy. He assembles two pulling teams, teaches new folks the ropes, and knows how to get a plane moving with nothing but muscle and willpower.

Meet Jodi: Behind-the-scenes energizer and key to success

Cisco’s efforts to raise money and awareness by pulling are great, but we also support the event behind the scenes as well.

Jodi MacMillan from Global Partner Organization lends management muscle, running Cisco’s oversight of the entire pulling competition. She coordinates the many volunteers who escort the pulling teams and keep time, score, and weight.

A tireless advocate for Special Olympics and the Plane Pull event, Jodi energizes participants and ensures the success of this event year after year.

Cisco shows up and shows out

At Cisco, we like to win. We’ve raised the most money among the teams pulling for Special Olympics — over $36,000 last year alone.

But Team Cisco doesn’t stop there. We’re very proud of our performance on the rope: A third-place plane pull time of only 7.14 seconds, accomplished with a team that was almost 2,000 pounds lighter than the fastest team!

Large group of Cisco volunteers pose in front of an airplane they pulled.

Our volunteers represent many parts of the business, from Collaboration and Software and Engineering to Sales and CX.

Want to pull with us?

We’re really proud of our efforts, but we could use you! Pulling, helping, cheering us on, or donating from afar — it all makes a difference.

We head back to the ropes for this year’s event on September 17 with our strongest team yet. Come and support us in person if you can! Or show your support by donating to our team through Bright Funds and have Cisco match your donation.

One rope? And a handful of folks? To move an 82-ton plane?

No problem. Grab on, and let’s pull together!