Many people think immediately of an icy CEO or shallow celebrity when they picture a private jet passenger. Terminally ill children, disabled veterans, researchers, or rescued animals don’t usually spring to mind. However, many private aircraft operators, owners, and pilots offer their services and equipment for numerous types of charitable missions.
The variety of services provided by volunteer groups is pretty wide-ranging. The majority provide flights to specialized hospitals for extremely ill patients. Imagine the stress that free flights alleviate for families coping with severe health problems. For these patients, travel is difficult, especially frequent, expensive, long-distance trips. And that’s what groups like Angel Flight West provide: free flights to people in need. Volunteer pilots who love to fly and help others donate their time to transport individuals in extenuating circumstances.
Several charitable aviation organizations turn to the four-legged victims. Cloud Nine Rescue Flights rescues animals facing euthanasia from over-crowded shelters, and three volunteer pilots fly them to locations where they will be adopted. While this group will transport any healthy spayed or neutered animal, dogs and cats are the most common travelers.
Other groups specialize in disaster recovery, environmental research, or search-and-rescue assistance. Light Hawk in Lander, Wyo., offers trips to scientists so they can acquire valuable sky-high data of environmental issues.
If you’re a pilot or an owner of a private jet, consider the good you can do. If you or someone you know has a compelling need for transportation, know that many private pilots and aircraft are willing to help you out.
To see a list of charitable aviation groups, visit aircareall.org. You can search by region, by need, or by alphabetical name.