Humanitarian Groups

Across the general aviation community, a number of organizations coordinate the use of business airplanes and other assets for humanitarian purposes.

AeroAngel

1550 Larimer St. Ste. 899
Denver, CO 80202
Tel: 303-817-7355
Email: info@aeroangel.org
Web: www.aeroangel.orm

AeroAngel is a unique aviation charity that provides free transportation, primarily to children, traveling to distant, life-saving medical care. AeroAngel limits its flights primarily to critically ill children who are not able to fly on a commercial airline flight due to their fragile medical conditions and/or critical care needs.

AERObridge

Marianne Stevenson
President
Tel: 951-491-9827
Email: mstevenson@aerobridge.org
Web: www.aerobridge.org

AERObridge (formerly known as Corporate Aviation Responding to Emergencies, or C.A.R.E.) is the all-volunteer group that coordinated the bulk of company and individual flight-related donations during the 2010 Haiti crisis. During non-crisis times the group helps match people in need with transportation on business aircraft.

Air Care Alliance

Rol Murrow
CEO
Email: mail@aircarealliance.org
Web: www.aircarealliance.org

Air Care Alliance is a nonprofit public benefit umbrella group that lists and supports ALL known volunteer pilot and similar charitable GA groups. ACA lists and make referrals to more than 65 aviation relief organizations of various kinds.

Air Serv International

Stuart Willcuts
CEO for Air Serv in the U.S.
Warrenton, VA 20186
Tel: 540-428-2323
Fax: 540-428-2326
Email: dpayant@airserv.org
Web: www.airserv.org

Air Serv International is a non-sectarian not-for-profit provider of “last mile” air transportation for humanitarian programs and disaster relief operations worldwide. In the past decade, Air Serv has flown more than 230,000 aid development workers and 1,600 metric tons of emergency supplies to remote areas. Professional pilots “with humanitarian hearts, cross-cultural sensitivity and Cessna Caravan or Twin Otter experience” should contact Danielle Payant, Air Serv director of flight operations at dpayant@airserv.org.

Airlift Flyers Aviation (ALFA AERO)

Rick Sante
10815 NW 33rd St,
Miami FL 33172
Tel: 305-470-1500
Fax: 305-470-1502
Cell: 305-607-4282
Email: rick@alfa.aero
Web: www.alfa.aero

Based in South Florida, ALFA AERO is a humanitarian aviation organization dedicated to raising awareness of opportunities for GA to participate in philanthropic flying year round. ALFA AERO matches missions, coordinating vetted, worthy nonprofits with donations of underutilized payload capacity in aircraft headed overseas. Generous owners/operators can provide vital, free air mobility to benefit 501(c)(3) charities throughout the Caribbean and the Americas.

Angel Flight

1515 East 71st Street, Ste. 312
Tulsa, OK 74136
Tel: 918-749-8992
Fax: 918-745-0879
Email: angel@angelflight.com
Web: www.angelflight.com

There are nine independent Angel Flight organizations serving the U.S. in specific states. All provide free transportation in donated aircraft for needy individuals, usually for medical reasons. Please check our locator page to locate a Public Benefit Flying Organization in your area.

Corporate Angel Network

Gina Russo
Executive Director
Tel: 914-328-1313
Fax: 914-328-3938
Email: grusso@corpangelnetwork.org
Web: www.corpangelnetwork.org

Corporate Angel Network (CAN) supported by NBAA, works with more than 500 major companies that use business aviation, most NBAA Members. CAN matches cancer patients needing transportation for treatment with corporate jets having empty seats on flights going in their direction. Although children with cancer are the passengers on many flights, the charity is not limited to children. CAN works with about half of Fortune 100 companies and many more of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies and finds seats for about 250 patients each month.

Flying Doctors of Mercy (LIGA)

19671 Lucaya Ct.
Apple Valley, CA 92308
Tel: 909-875-6300
Fax: 909-875-6900
Email: LIGA@ligainternational.org
Web: www.ligainternational.org

Members of this group of doctors, dentists, nurses, optometrists, audiologists, pharmacists, chiropractors, assistants and technicians travel to the town of El Fuerte in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, to provide medical services to the Yaqui Indians. The name LIGA is from the Spanish version of the group’s name. Volunteer pilots in donated aircraft fly the medical team members from their homes in Arizona, Nevada and California one weekend a month.

Missionary Flights International (MFI)

Richard (Dick) Snook
President and CEO
3170 Airmans Drive
Ft. Pierce, FL 34946
Tel: 772-462-2395
Email: dicks@missionaryflights.org
Web: www.missionaryflights.org

MFI maintains regular passenger service each week to and from the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic in support of missionaries and aid workers when needed. In times of crisis, MFI works with companies willing to donate aircraft flight time to the cause.

Patient AirLift Services (PALS)

Eileen Minogue
Executive Director
120 Adams Blvd.
Farmingdale, NY 11735
Tel: 631-694-7257
Email: info@palservices.org
Web: www.palservices.org

Patient AirLift Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that arranges free air transportation for individuals requiring medical diagnosis, treatment or follow-up who cannot afford or are unable to fly commercially. PALS also arranges volunteer flights for family members of patients as compassionate missions, to ensure patients have support when they are away home for long periods. PALS is proud to assist military personnel and their families with free flights to aid in the recovery and rehabilitation processes for our wounded veterans

Samaritan’s Purse

Virgil Gottfried
Mission Aviation Services Director
PO Box 3000
801 Bamboo Road
Boone, NC 28607
Tel: 800-528-1980
Email: vgottfried@samaritan.org
Web: www.samaritanspurse.org

Samaritan’s Purse is an international relief organization that is part of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, managed by Franklin Graham. Its Aviation Department uses a variety of business-type aircraft to support relief and development missions in more than 100 countries. During the Haiti crisis in 2010, several companies donated additional business aircraft flight time to the group.

Sky Hope Network

Robin Eissler
Chairman & President
PO Box 1459
Georgetown, TX 78627
Tel: 561-714-3070
E-mail: info@sky-hope.org
Web: www.sky-hope.org

Veteran’s Airlift Command

Walt Fricke
Executive Director
5775 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 700
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
Tel: 952-582-2911
Email: info@veteransairlift.org
Web: www.veteransairlift.org

The Veterans Airlift Command works with companies and individuals throughout the U.S. to provide free air transportation to wounded veterans and their families for medical and other compassionate purposes. In the past year, the group has flown more than 1,700 wounded servicemen and women and their family members. The group’s priority passengers are injured service members from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, many of whom are amputees.

Wings of Mercy Inc.

Terry Boer, President
100 Pine South Street Suite #393
Zeeland, MI 49464
Tel: 616-396-1077
Fax: 616-748-6093
E-mail: terry@ea-transport.com
Web: www.wingsofmercy.org

Wings of Mercy Inc. provides free air transportation in donated GA aircraft flown by volunteer pilots for people with limited financial means who need treatment at distant medical facilities.