Cradle Cargo Mission Flight #1:

Oshkosh, WI → Janesville, WI

Mission Date: 7-17-2026
Aircraft: Cirrus SR22T
Cargo: 2 Boxes (for Janesville hospitals) + 1 box for Appleton, WI hospital + 7 boxes for various pilots to bring home
Miles Flown: 739
Flight Time: 6.7

Hospitals Reached: 2
Grieving Families Served: 100

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Meet the Pilot: Kelly Nimmo-Guenther

Kelly Nimmo-Guenther is a Colorado native, mother of two daughters, and wife to a supportive husband who has returned to her roots in the Rocky Mountain West. A Cirrus SR22T pilot, COPA Board member, and lifelong aviation enthusiast, her flying journey began as a skydiver with Aggies Over Texas at Texas A&M University.

After a career as a Partner at a worldwide consulting firm specializing in business strategy, process design, and technology solutions for Fortune 100/500 clients, she founded and led two nonprofit organizations for over a decade. Today, Kelly combines her professional expertise and nonprofit leadership with her passion for aviation, holding both a private pilot’s license and instrument rating. She is committed to lifelong learning and a career of service.

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The Mission

A mutual pilot friend, Stephen, connected Bridget’s Cradles founder Ashley Opliger with pilot Kelly Nimmo-Guenther. Kelly was already planning to fly her Cirrus to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh—and when she learned about the vision for Cradle Cargo, an opportunity quickly emerged: what if she stopped in Wichita along the way, picked up Ashley and a load of cradles, and turned her already-planned trip into the very first Cradle Cargo mission?

Before the flight, Ashley and Kelly met over Zoom for a strategy call to talk through the vision for Cradle Cargo and their upcoming trip to Oshkosh. They envisioned the week as a networking and scouting mission—an opportunity to introduce Bridget’s Cradles to the aviation community, build relationships with pilots and aviation organizations, and explore how volunteer pilots could help transport cradles across the country.

They also planned to bring as many boxes of cradles as Kelly’s Cirrus could carry, with the hope of connecting with pilots at Oshkosh who could take them home on their return flights and deliver them to hospitals along the way.

Then, on July 17, 2026, the idea took flight.

Kelly flew her Cirrus from Colorado to Wichita to pick up Ashley, but before heading to Wisconsin, she stopped at Bridget’s Cradles headquarters in Kechi. There, Kelly got a firsthand look at the ministry behind the cargo she was about to carry and the handmade cradles created by volunteers for families experiencing pregnancy loss.

Then they packed the airplane with as many boxes of cradles as space would allow. For Ashley, climbing aboard Kelly’s plane represented far more than a flight to Oshkosh. It was the first glimpse of what Cradle Cargo could become.

First Stop: Janesville

Before continuing to Oshkosh, Kelly and Ashley landed in Janesville, Wisconsin, where Kelly would spend time practicing formation flying with fellow members of the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) in preparation for the group’s mass arrival into Oshkosh.

The stop gave Ashley an unexpected opportunity to experience another side of the aviation community. She joined Kelly for formation practice flights and sat in on pilot briefings as the group prepared to fly 50+ Cirrus aircraft together into the world’s largest aviation gathering.

But Janesville was also where the first Cradle Cargo mission began making an impact on the ground.

Ashley delivered cradles and bereavement resources to Mercyhealth Hospital and Trauma Center–Janesville and SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital–Janesville, meeting hospital staff and sharing the mission of Bridget’s Cradles with the teams who would place the cradles directly into the hands of grieving families.

The Mission Continues

Cradle Cargo Mission #001 may have landed in Janesville, but the journey was far from over. With cradles delivered to two local hospitals and Kelly’s formation training complete, Ashley and Kelly prepared for their next destination: EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. And aboard the Cirrus were still boxes of cradles waiting for their next pilots—and their next destinations.

Read Mission #002 to follow Cradle Cargo into Oshkosh. →

Mission #1: Complete.

Cradle Cargo is an aviation initiative of Bridget’s Cradles that mobilizes volunteer pilots to carry handmade cradles and bereavement resources to hospitals across the country. By utilizing flights pilots are already making—and available cargo space that might otherwise fly empty—Cradle Cargo helps us reach more hospitals faster while giving the aviation community a meaningful way to serve grieving families. From takeoff to final delivery, every mission carries one important cargo: hope.

Learn more at CradleCargo.com.