Recently, Angel Flight West Mission Coordinator Logan Burley traveled to Fresno Yosemite International Airport to assist with post-summer camp sendoffs for campers from the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation’s Champ Camp. Logan recounted his camp experience below. To support a camp flight and make a kid’s summer dream come true, please visit tinyurl.com/afwcamp2026.
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Camp season is the busiest and most rewarding time of the year for Angel Flight West’s (AFW) Coordination Team for a multitude of reasons: The huge number of pilots stepping up to fly the campers, the sheer number of campers traveling, and the lifelong memories these campers make not only from their flights with AFW but from the camps themselves.
This year, I had the pleasure of flying with AFW Command Pilot Jeff Van Diepen in his SR22T from Reno to Fresno to assist with post-camp sendoffs for the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation’s (AARBF) Champ Camp. Once we arrived in Fresno, we met with the AARBF’s Camp and Recreations Manager, Erika. Shortly after meeting her, over 40 campers and counselors flooded into Signature Aviation, one of the FBOs at the airport in Fresno.
At first, it was overwhelming; but after everyone settled in and pilots started to arrive, a sense of ease filled the room. Wrangling up restless kids and teenagers can be a challenge. Luckily, Erika and Jeff were an enormous help in linking campers with their pilots. It was emotional for many of the campers and counselors to say goodbye; some of them may not see each other until next year’s camp.
The pilots who flew this year’s Champ Camp missions are some of the most kind, selfless, and dedicated people I’ve ever met. All pilots who fly AFW missions are, but these pilots really rose to the occasion when they were needed. They willingly packed their airplanes full of tired campers and did so with a smile! They came from all over to help the campers and counselors get safely home; one pilot even brought a bag full of teddy bears to gift to the younger campers!
Camp flights have a huge impact on the campers and their families. For some it removes hours of travel time, for others it enables them to attend the camp at all. All the campers were very grateful for their pilots; they couldn’t wait to get home after a week of fun! The camp counselors and staff were also incredibly thankful — they made sure to mention how much these flights meant to them and the kiddos.
One of the reasons I got into aviation in the first place was because of a dream I had to become an EMS helicopter pilot. While I may not be flying them, these missions allow me to see the direct impact of aviation on people needing assistance. Getting to be there in person, to see how many campers were directly affected, was truly incredible.
Camp flights are a true team effort, and almost completely different than a typical mission. While most flights have 1-3 passengers, camps can involve upwards of 40 people traveling to or from the same destination. Coordination happens on a completely different scale for camps — it truly takes a village of supporters, volunteers, and coordinators to make camp season happen.
Our pilots are the backbone of it all. Without their willingness to step up, camp flights simply wouldn’t happen. Because the passenger volume is so much higher, we reach out to a larger pool of pilots than usual. On the coordination side, that means more communication, logistics, and effort in every direction. The result is one of the most rewarding coordination efforts we accomplish all year. The Mission Operations team — consisting of both Coordination and Volunteer Services — really raises the bar for camps. I couldn’t ask to work with a more helpful, dedicated group of people.
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