Angel Flight

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Angel Flight is a non-profit organization that helps arrange free, non-emergency transportation for patients who require medical treatment but can not afford to pay for a commercial flight. Transportation is provided by volunteer pilots, often using their own private general aviation aircraft.

How Angel Flight Works

The Angel Flight organization itself does not provide transportation. Instead, it acts as a "matchmaker" between people who have a compelling need for transportation but can not afford it, and individual pilots who are willing to provide free flights as a charity.

Angel Flight typically serves patients who require specialized medical treatment from a facility far from their homes — for example, a clinic that has expertese in the treatment of a particular form of a disease. In some cases, other compelling human needs are served, such as transportation to visit a hospitalized family member.

The Angel Flight process begins when the person requiring transportation contacts the Angel Flight organization. Patients describe the points between which they need transportation, the total number of people and weight, and the affliction suffered. Not every patient is eligible for transportation. For example, patients must be medically stable, capable of walking on their own and sitting upright unassisted. The flight must also not be for treatment of a medical emergency, because weather or other factors may cause last-minute cancellation of the flight.

If the flight request is appropriate, the date, source, destination, and total passenger are added to an "available mission list" on the Angel Flight web site. Pilot volunteers periodically check the mission list and can assign themselves to a mission that is appopriate to their aircraft and schedule.

Finally, the pilot contacts the patient and arranges details (e.g., meeting place and time), and the flight is performed, unless a factor such as weather or mechanical difficulties requires its cancellation.

Angel Flight Pilots

Angel Flight is made possible by pilots who volunteer both their time and money for aircraft operating expenses. Many pilots provide Angel Flights in their own personal aircraft, although some do so using rental aircraft. Pilots must meet certain minimum flight experience requirements before they are allowed to command an Angel Flight mission. They also receive training on the special procedures required for Angel Flight.

Pilots have a variety of reasons for volunteering for Angel Flight missions. Most do so simply because they enjoy flying, and providing charity transportation is more constructive than getting a $100 hamburger or "drilling holes in the sky" (flying just for the sake of flying). The aircraft operating expenses are also tax-deductible.

Sources

Categories: Aviation