In the Hangar: Meet Our New Board Members! February 14, 2023 Angel Flight West is proud to welcome two new board members to our team: Daniel Cheung and Emily Deaton. Both Daniel and Emily join AFW’s Board of Directors with a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and passion for charitable aviation. We’re thrilled to have them serve as we continue to deliver health and hope throughout the Western states. Daniel Cheung is a CPA and he co-founded Aviation Tax Consultants… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Wingspan: Winter 2022 December 6, 2022 Welcome new Montana and Hawaii wing leaders! Mark Haakenson – Montana Wing Leader Mark Haakenson on an angel flight with his sweet co-pilot, Evelyn Mark Haakenson joined Angel Flight West as a Command Pilot in August of 2016. He is an 8,200+ hour ATP pilot with his CFII/MEI as well as an A&P with Inspection Authorization (I.A.). He works out of Great Falls (GTF) flying a Citation V (560) for a couple of brothe… Ivan Martinez Read More »
Helpful Hints from the Communications Corner December 4, 2022 Ways to Help We’d love to see more photos submitted from our Earth Angels! You can submit photos with your mission report or email [email protected] if you’re having trouble with submissions. Speaking of photos, VPOIDS requires photos to be 200 KB or larger. If you’re having any issue submitting photos, please send them directly to us at [email protected]. Note: Even if you don’t see yo… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Cheri Reflects on 25 Years of Angel Flights December 2, 2022 I hit a couple of milestones in my life recently. One was a birthday… and I’ll leave that number for you to wonder about! The second was 25 years with Angel Flight West and that is something I am quite proud of. I started working at AFW as an assistant… it was only 12 hours a week… and I was looking for a little something to do to fill an empty nest. And fill that nest it did!… Cheri Cimmarrusti Read More »
Volunteers Give Others a Chance for More Time December 2, 2022 Tony sat down across from me in an empty Angel Flight West (AFW) cubicle, and we started chatting about the organization. Having countless missions under his belt from over five years of flying, he asked about the coordination team, listing everyone by name and inquiring about the new additions to the staff. His spontaneous drop-in was as welcome a surprise as ever, but especially… Alexandro Ramirez Read More »
From Operations Coordinator to Mission Assistant: Natalie Takes to the Skies October 7, 2022 As the central nervous system of Angel Flight West, the Mission Operations Team coordinates each of 5,000+ flights that crisscross the Western United States every year. Made up of five dedicated coordinators, this team verifies passengers are safe for flight, talented volunteer pilots are on-hand to complete each mission, and flight schedules are thoroughly vetted. Through it all, its members stay in close com… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Wingspan: Welcome New CO/WY Wing Leaders! August 15, 2022 We’re excited to announce new leadership in the Colorado and Wyoming Wings! It’s my pleasure to introduce Stan VanderWerf as incoming Wing Leader for the Colorado Wing! Stan VanderWerf serves District 3 on the Board of County Commissioners for El Paso County and is presently the Chair of the Board. Commissioner VanderWerf also serves as a voting member, and the only elected official, to the Colorado State Bo… Ivan Martinez Read More »
In the Hangar: Meet Our New Board Members! August 5, 2022 Angel Flight West is proud to welcome two new board members to our team this year: Georgia Griffiths and Bill Banta. Both Georgia and Bill join the AFW Board with a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and passion. Georgia and Bill have both been volunteer pilots with Angel Flight West for over ten years, and we are thrilled to have them serve in this new capacity as we continue to deliver health, hope, and happiness througho… Jessica Hayes Read More »
AFW Provides a Haven from Chaos February 20, 2022 Technological progress has hit the fast forward button on our society, and, at times, it seems like we’re all playing catch-up. We find it increasingly difficult to take a pause to reflect or find a foothold at this blistering pace. With endless distraction and information overwhelm, it can be hard to appreciate just how historically momentous this time is. We attach grand labels like “The Great Resignation” or “… Alexandro Ramirez Read More »
In the Hangar: Meet AFW’s 2 new Board Members! February 17, 2022 Angel Flight West welcomes two incredible board members to our team: David Petrillo and Mark Merrill! We also welcome aboard our newest Mission Operations Coordinator, Natalie Peters! David Petrillo David Petrillo is a Bay Area native with a degree in pharmacy from Missouri State University. After graduation, he returned to California and founded his e-commerce skin care company, Perfect Image. David h… Kaitlyn McQuown Read More »
Wingspan: Outreach – I want to help, but where do I start? November 18, 2021 Awareness of our services is one of Angel Flight Wests’ biggest ongoing challenges. Most people don’t think about general aviation aircraft when trying to figure out how to access their medical care hundreds of miles away. That’s why outreach is so vital to our mission and growth, and why it’s up to us to reach out to those that need us most. As a grassroots-focused, volunteer-intensive organization, AFW relies on de… Ivan Martinez Read More »
From Cheri’s Desk: A Reflection on 24 Years November 18, 2021 Each year around this time, I tend to look back at my years here with AFW. As I pass the 24-year mark, memories of passengers past and present come to mind. But something that always makes me smile is thinking about those passengers who have been flying with us for many, many years. It is some of these folks who are the reason behind why we all care so much about what we do for AFW. That is true for staff and volunteers alike… Cheri Cimmarrusti Read More »
In the Hangar: Meet AFW’s 3 new Board Members! November 18, 2021 Christy DeYoung is Founder and President of Jet RVSM Services, LLC, an Oregon based aviation services company. Jet RVSM combines regulatory expertise and technical writing to assist aircraft operators with international special airspace and equipment authorizations, safety management systems and related flight department FAA-compliance activities. Christy graduated from UC Davis with a BA in English an… Kaitlyn McQuown Read More »
Communications Corner: The perfect setting for a story to be born November 18, 2021 An Angel Flight is the perfect setting for a story to be born. As a passenger and a pilot glide together above the clouds, looking down over landmarks, nature, and bustling cities or quiet countrysides, they connect in the air for a fleeting moment, as if time has stopped. The worries of both navigator and traveler are left on the ground for just a while, if ever so brief. In the case of Angel Flight West, that moment is part… Kaitlyn McQuown Read More »
Angel Flight West Ascends Past 90,000 Missions November 18, 2021 In a quiet moment, pilot Jon Lange looks back from the cockpit of his Socata/TBM 700. Jon is one of 1,800 volunteer pilots who fly for Angel Flight West, and today he’s setting a milestone: this flight is the charitable aviation organization’s 90,000th mission. His passenger, Jenny, is gazing out the window at the clouds in wonder alongside her sister-in-law Alejandra. It’s Jenny’s first time i… Kaitlyn McQuown Read More »
