Aviation is proof that given the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible.
— Edward Rickenbacker
So how are you doing on those New Year’s resolutions you made last month? Many of us decide to exercise, eat better, read more. Whatever they are, all those resolutions usually boil down to one thing: our pledge to be better in the coming year. But do we stick to them? What if instead of changing yourself, you used your existing your skills and talents to be better, to do better?
Most resolutions are about changing a behavior, which requires repetition and dedication, two things pilots are very familiar with. To become a pilot you log hours and you study and you pass your tests and all that effort brings a great change and a great reward: suddenly you have the power to shrink the map.
Once you get your wings, you can travel great distances almost as easily as if you’re going to the corner store for a carton of milk. Our AFW passengers aren’t as lucky; for most of them travel is nearly impossible. All AFW passengers have a need to get to a distant airport, but can’t afford the cost of the plane tickets that will bring them to life-saving medical treatment or important respite from their troubles. Many live in remote areas of the West, and driving to the best doctor, the special needs camp, or to the home of an ailing parent would be an impossible strain on health and resources. These are just a few of the reasons AFW passengers need pilots to volunteer their skills and aircraft. You can read more about them here.
AFW passengers are all hoping for a positive change in the coming year, but they can’t do it alone. Too many of our missions are canceled for lack of an available pilot. Each of these flights represents a chance for someone. We vet each passenger for financial and compassionate need; all of our passengers have a compelling need to get to a distant terminal. Every story is different and the common element in all of them is the volunteer pilot who commits to giving his or her time and energy to making life a little better, one flight at a time, one passenger at a time. Click here to learn how you can use your skills to help AFW passengers. Doesn’t that sound like a nice resolution for the coming year?
