Member FAQ
What is Angel Flight?
The mission of Angel Flight is to facilitate access to health care by arranging free air transportation in private aircraft in response to medical and other compelling human needs. Angel Flight links volunteer private pilots with people in need whose health care problems require long distance travel to and from medical facilities. Angel Flight is a tax exempt, nonprofit organization.
Angel Flight is an opportunity to combine your love of flying with volunteer community service. Your participation will benefit people whose medical problems have left them without the funds to reach places where they can get needed diagnosis or treatment.
Who Belongs to Angel Flight?
The members of Angel Flight are private pilots (aircraft owners and renters) and non-pilot supporting members whose common interest is in helping others.
An instrument rating is not necessary to fly on most Angel Flight missions, although we encourage all members to obtain the rating so they will be available for flights under a wider range of conditions. Less-experienced pilots are encouraged to fly as mission assistants and participate in that way.
In order to be able to fly missions for Angel Flight West, a private pilot must have at least 250 hours of total time, 75 hours of which is cross-country time, and 25 hours in the current make and model of aircraft to be flown on missions. Click here for more details on our minimum pilot qualifications.
Interested non-pilot supporting members (including the non-pilot spouses of pilot members) are also very welcome. Non-pilot members are eligible to act as "mission assistants" on missions, in order to assist the patient. There is also a substantial amount of on-the-ground work for which everyone's help is valuable and appreciated.
Who Does Angel Flight Transport?
Angel Flight offers transportation to people whose medical problems make it necessary for them to travel for diagnosis or treatment, and who lack the financial resources for transportation. Angel Flight will also carry, without regard to financial need, people whose condition or location makes it difficult or impossible for them to use other means of transportation.
Typical examples of Angel Flight missions include carrying cancer
patients for chemotherapy, surgery or other treatment, between their
home and the treatment facility; carrying people with kidney
problems to obtain dialysis or kidney transplants; carrying patients
with heart problems for specialized diagnosis, treatment, and
follow-up; and transporting children to and from "special needs
camps" such as camps for burn survivors, camps for children with
renal disease and camps for children with life-threatening
illnesses. Angel Flight also responds to many other compelling human
needs for which free air transportation would be of value.
The patients flown by Angel Flight must be ambulatory and medically stable. They must be able to get in and out of the aircraft on their own (or with limited assistance), sit up for the duration of the flight, and not require medical treatment during the flight.
Patients often have a friend or family member accompany them.
Angel Flight pilots also transport corneas, blood, other tissue, and technicians for procurement of organs.
Where Do the Calls Come From?
Most requests for Angel Flight missions come from the social workers or discharge planners at hospitals and health care agencies. Calls also come from charitable organizations and societies such as the American Cancer Society, The American Heart Association, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. We also get referrals from related aviation-oriented charities such as the Corporate Angel Network (CAN) and AirLifeLine. These are agencies that generally work with people who are in financial need (or have become so due to the cost of treating their illness).
By using the expertise of these agencies and their personnel, we determine that a person meets our medical and/or financial-need criteria and thus justifies the pilot's donation of time and flying expenses.
What Kind of Aircraft Does Angel Flight Use?
Most Angel Flight aircraft are single- or twin-engine, propeller-driven aircraft. They range from two-seat homebuilt models (used for non-passenger missions) to pressurized, cabin class aircraft.
The majority of our missions are flown in single-engine, four-seat aircraft. Most mission requests we receive are well within the capability of such aircraft. You do not need either a large or a fast airplane to be of assistance to most people who seek Angel Flight's help.
How Far Will Angel Flight Fly on a Mission?
Most Angel Flight missions are within a 500 mile radius of the pilot's home base airport. The majority of the flights are within a 350 mile radius. Angel Flight serves all the Western states. The maximum length of an Angel Flight West mission is 1,000 miles, although on most
occasions, these missions are accomplished by relay flights. We typically do not fly outside the borders of the United States.
Air Charity Network™ (formerly Angel Flight America) Web Site regional organizations and other charitable aviation organizations across the country can in some cases relay patients or cargo. We occasionally connect with corporate or commercial flights for longer distances. In such cases our role is often to bring a patient from a remote location not served by public transportation to a major airport. What is My Liability?
Flights you make for Angel Flight have the same status as any flight made with passengers by a private pilot under Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. You have no greater liability when flying a passenger for an Angel Flight mission than when flying a friend or neighbor.
What About Insurance?
All Angel Flight pilots, whether aircraft owners or renters, are required to have liability insurance in order to fly as the Angel Flight West Command Pilot of a mission. The minimum liability insurance coverage required is $500,000 with a minimum limit of $100,000 per seat.
Because Angel Flight pilots receive no financial remuneration for their services, the flights are non-commercial and covered under a pilot's normal liability policy. As an added precaution, all passengers flown by Angel Flight sign a waiver of liability naming both the pilots and the Angel Flight organization.
Who Pays for the Flights?
The Command Pilot is responsible for all mission costs. These costs may be tax deductible as a charitable donation.
Several FBOs offer fuel discounts for pilots who are on Angel Flight missions, and we have agreements to waive landing and tiedown fees at many major airports throughout our service area.
How Do I Join?
The cost to join is only $50, and the annual dues are $35. Please click here to apply now!
If you'd like more information and a membership application sent to you by mail, email or fax, please click here now. What Happens After I Join?
You will receive a member notebook and ID card. Pilots will be
told how to arrange a mission orientation with one of our Mission
Orientation Pilots before being cleared for Command Pilot duties. This
orientation will orient you to Angel Flight procedures and does not
require a flight. Your Mission Orientation Pilot will inform you of what
you will need to bring to your mission orientation.
What Happens if I'm Called and Can't Fly a Mission?
A pilot is free to decline any mission, whether for financial, scheduling, weather, or personal reasons. We encourage pilots to recognize their limits, and to fly only when they feel completely comfortable doing so.
When unable to fly as Command Pilot, pilots can participate as mission assistants.
Are There Regular Meetings?
Yes. Meetings are held regularly in all Angel Flight Wings. While not mandatory, these gatherings are an opportunity to meet other Angel Flight members and to learn more about aviation.
There is usually a pre-meeting meal, where members have a chance to socialize, tell about recent mission experiences, and do a bit of hangar flying. In addition to Wing business, the meeting program often features speakers from throughout the aviation world such as test pilots to safety experts. Health care and social services personnel make occasional presentations to familiarize Angel Flight pilots with the needs of the people they fly. We occasionally have our meetings at places of particular interest to pilots such as a flight service station, approach control facility, or aerospace company. Guests and prospective members are always welcome.
For the time and location of our next meeting, check out our
News page, or our
Calendar of Events, or go to the home page for your Wing (accessible from the top of this page). You are very welcome to attend any meeting as a guest.
Besides the regular membership meeting, there are periodic meetings of the several committees that do much of the nuts and bolts work needed to keep Angel Flight flying. These committees include Mission Orientation, Mission Coordination, Public Relations and Fund Raising. While participation in these committees is optional, members find the more they put in, the more they get out of Angel Flight.
Can Angel Flight Use Non-pilot Members?
Yes! Many non-pilots join because of their enthusiasm for the mission of Angel Flight. Non-pilot members often fly along on missions as mission assistants to give attention to the patients being flown. Non-pilots also assist Angel Flight in their own areas of expertise and interest such as writing, computers, mission coordination, telephoning, fundraising and planning special events.
Pilot Questions
I am a current member who has already had an orientation. What do I need to do?
If you have already passed an orientation with Angel Flight West, you are automatically granted Command Pilot status. This applies even to members who do not meet the Requirements for Angel Flight West Command Pilots. You may continue to fly flights as long as you meet the ongoing qualifications.
I am a current member (joined prior to 12/31/02), but have not yet had my orientation. What do I need to do?
If you meet the minimum qualifications for Command Pilot status, you may schedule an orientation at your convenience. If you do not currently meet the the minimum qualifications for Command Pilot status, you can still be granted Command Pilot status through a grandfather clause if you complete your orientation before April 30, 2003.
I just joined Angel Flight West and was not aware of the new requirements. Can I still fly?
If you joined after January 1, 2003, you must meet the minimum qualifications for Command Pilot status to fly flights. If you do not meet these requirements, we have many opportunities for you to assist us in our mission, including flying as a mission assistant (right seat), volunteering in the office, helping to coordinate flights, and so forth. If you do not wish to join after all, please contact the office at (310) 390-2958 and we will refund your membership fee.
I would like to fly as a mission assistant. How do I find out about available missions for mission assistant?
Go to the Available Missions page. There you can choose to view missions requiring a mission assistant.
How do I schedule an orientation?
You can look up orientation pilots in your area on our web site by logging into the AFIDS system. You can also call the office at (310) 390-2958 and we will make a referral for you.
Do I need to send proof of insurance to the office?
No. You state in your pilot affirmation that you will meet our insurance requirements (and all other Command Pilot requirements) and we rely on you to ensure that you meet all requirements.
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