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Leisure Travel ENJOYING LIFE WITH YOUR PLANE
 The Mechanics of Getting It Done
Contrary to popular belief‚ you needn’t be superman or a retired fighter pilot to use your flying skills to help others.
Angel Flight is the most demanding‚ requiring its pilots and the aircraft they fly to be instrument rated and current‚ and pilots must have at least 250 hours of PIC time. Flying Paws requires at least a private pilot certificate‚ and EAA requires only an "appropriate" airman's certificate‚ sport pilot or greater.
Both EAA and Angel Flight have minimum insurance requirements‚ which the organizations point out is designed to protect the pilots in case of accident.
The types of equipment flown ranges from single–engine Cessna’s to twin turbo–props and even jet aircraft. Subach says she has one volunteer who flies a citation‚ but she adds‚ "it has to really be critical in order to even ask him."
For Angel Flights‚ the manifest is usually the patient and a companion‚ who is either a family member or friend. While many Angel Flight pilots fly solo‚ those with the extra payload capacity do bring along another pilot
or family member to help make the trip go more smoothly.
For Flying Paws missions‚ Subach recommends a pilot and a person in the right seat who can observe and take care of the animal during flight.
On Young Eagle’s flights‚ pilots can take one or more children‚ but are urged to consider the experience the child will have sitting in the back seat and not take on too many people for a single flight.
What types of people make good volunteer pilots? Just about anyone.
"We have a lot of doctors and lawyers that can take some time off‚ but a lot of our pilots do work during the week and will fly on the weekends with us‚" Rusnak said.
Angel Flight has the most elaborate pilot network‚ with approximately 6‚800 active volunteer pilots of all experience and skill levels participating across the country. The group flies patients and a companion to medical treatment they might not otherwise be able to get to without the volunteer network.
"I flew this one guy‚ he got out of the airplane and he said‚ 'God bless you’'" Rusnak said. "He said‚ `If I couldn’t fly on Angel Flights‚ I wouldn’t go. I can’t go through the airports. If you guys didn’t fly me‚ I would have just stayed home and died.’"
While some of the people who rely on Angel Flights are poor‚ Rusnak said many are financially well off but are too sick to deal with the rigors of today’s commercial air travel. The group transports patients who are candidates for organ transplants and need to travel to a transplant hospital in just a few hours.
The also transport a number of patients with unique medical conditions that are enrolled in experimental medical programs. Treatment programs are usually centered at a specific hospital‚ while patients with that illness may be spread out across the country. Angel Flight is the bridge that makes it possible for those patients to get the best care possible.
The group typically keeps its patient trips to under 1000 miles‚ often using multiple pilots flying 300 to 350 miles per pilot. For longer trips‚ it has an organization that works with the nation’s 200 air ambulance services to get discount flights. Angel Flight has even made in–roads with the airlines‚ getting donated tickets that can be used to transport patients who are able to travel by commercial aviation across long distances.
A new area Angel Flight has become involved with is homeland security. After September 11‚ 2001‚ the federal government enlisted Angel Flight’s network of volunteers to fly blood‚ medical supplies and rescue personnel and even rescue dogs into the New York and Washington impact zones.
During his 2002 State of the Union address‚ President George W. Bush said the nation would look for volunteers to help with homeland security preparedness. That same year‚ the Corporation for National and Community Service awarded an Angel Flight affiliate a three–year grant to develop a national network of volunteers who could assist with homeland security.
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