Finding Hope in an Online Community: Breast Cancer Awareness Month October 11, 2022 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a campaign to educate the public about the impact of this daunting disease. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), an expected 285,000+ diagnosed cases will occur in 2022 in the United States making breast cancer the second most common cancer among American women. Angel Flight West’s (AFW) volunteer pilots and airline partners help patients fight ca… Jessica Hayes 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 »
Unexpected Help: Tristan Travels 500+ Miles to Treatment September 25, 2022 Ashlee was eight-and-a-half months pregnant when her three-year-old son, Tristan, was diagnosed with leukemia. Suddenly, their family’s world was turned upside-down. Life was a dizzying blur, full of unanswered questions. “There’s so much information,” Ashlee said. “You don’t know what you’re going to need. You don’t know how you’re going to survive.” To further complicate matters, Ashlee and her husband, C… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Angel Flight West Helps Make Amputee Conference a Reality for Bernardo September 18, 2022 https://blog.amputee-coalition.org/events/angel-flight-west-helps-make-amputee-conference-a-reality-for-bernardo/ Click “Continue reading” in the link above to learn how Angel Flight West and Alaska Airlines helped Bernardo and his wife make it to the Amputee Coalition National Conference. Jessica Hayes Read More »
Spotlight on an Earth Angel: Meet Dotian August 26, 2022 For 34 years, Earth Angel Dotian McReynolds was a harpist with the National Symphony in Washington, DC – and a traveling musician who played in nearly all of America’s 50 states. She was, by any professional measure, a master of her craft. She was also, by her own admission, addicted to direct engagement with her audiences. “The division between the audience and the orchestra always bothered me,” Dotian said. “Tha… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Angel Flights Are An Easy ‘Yes’ for Yosuke Tanaka August 26, 2022 “If someone needs help, I’m flying to help.” Command Pilot Yosuke Tanaka lives by those words. As a plane and helicopter pilot, Yosuke has flown his share of missions to help those in need. Since moving to Hawaii seven years ago, Yosuke has helped with search and rescue missions to locate missing hikers and fishermen. It was this passion to help others that led Yosuke to also take on the role of Angel Flight West voluntee… Jessica Hayes Read More »
From Cardboard Planes to Angel Flights: Spotlight on Sven August 16, 2022 As a child, Sven Freitag loved to sit inside cardboard boxes and pretend they were planes. He’d even draw his own ‘cockpit panels’ on the inside before ‘take-off.’ But today, as a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Sven can skip the sketching altogether and authentically take to the skies. “I turned my childhood dream into reality by earning my private certificate,” Sven said. “I’m now a 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 »
Volunteer Pilots Give Hope and Air Support to Jose August 11, 2022 As his eyesight gradually diminishes, Jose Reyes Del Valle has naturally found himself turning to various friends in his time of need — especially as reliable medical transportation can now be a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, two of Jose’s newest friendships happen to be Angel Flight West volunteer pilots Trevor Moody and Yuriy Chanba. Together, Trevor and Yuriy have flown Jose on two… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Are You Landing for Safety or Comfort? August 7, 2022 As pilots we all strive for passenger accolades after a smooth-as-glass landing, but is it the best landing? I love to do pattern work, even after decades of flying, and working for a smooth landing. While it can be rewarding and offers great training, it does come with some safety issues. While Aircraft Flight Manuals (AFM/POH) for light aircraft don’t make specific… Rich Pickett 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 »
Flying with Angels: Chance’s Story of Love and Family August 5, 2022 It is with a heavy heart we share that Angel Flight West passenger Chance Johnson passed away on June 24, 2022. Chance traveled with 24 Angel Flight West volunteer pilots over the course of 30 missions and touched countless other lives during his 16 years on Earth. Our hearts are with his family, friends, medical team, and volunteers mourning his loss. Chance’s medical journey started when he was born with VA… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Child Burn Survivors: Finding Hope and Happiness at Summer Camp July 28, 2022 Angel Flight West provides hundreds of flights for children to reach speciality summer camps each year. We are honored to partner with Camp Courage to help child burn survivors reach camp with the help of dedicated volunteer pilots. At first, Rudy was a bit nervous about sending his teenage boys, Diego and Rodolfo, on a flight to their summer camp. With Diego on the autism spectrum and Rodolfo known to experience anxi… Jessica Hayes Read More »
More Than a Hobby: Flying Kids to Summer Camps July 19, 2022 In addition to flights for medical treatment, Angel Flight West provides flights for hundreds of children to attend summer camps each year. Our young passengers — some of them burn survivors, others blind or visually impaired, or navigating life-threatening illness — make a difference to each of our volunteer pilots. For pilot Vic Jaro, aviation isn’t just a pleasant hobby — it’s deeply conne… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Fighting Cancer from the Air: Volunteer Pilots Make a Difference July 12, 2022 Volunteer Pilots with Angel Flight West make a difference each day. Because of their generosity of time and resources, more patients with critical illnesses, like cancer, are able to access medical treatment. As a retired United Airlines captain, and as the personal owner of two Cirrus aircraft, Tom is quick to recognize he’s lived something of a charmed life. “I’ve been gifted with many advantages,” he said. “[… Jessica Hayes Read More »
