Flights of Joy – AFW’s Adopt a Family Program November 28, 2022 Volunteer pilots deliver gifts to Angel Flight West passengers across the Western United States. Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots are transformingtheir planes into sleighs, bringing holiday joy to families struggling with medical or personal hardships and the financial burdens related to their healing and recovery. Angel Flight West (AFW) provides free flights year-round for people who need to travel l… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Nash’s Story of Flight and Hope November 22, 2022 Will you make a #GivingTuesday gift to help passengers like Nash today? It was Easter weekend when Kendyll and her husband Preston received the gut-wrenching news that their bright and shining one-year-old son, Nash, had cancer. Only two days earlier, Kendyll woke up to change Nash’s diaper when she felt a mass on the right side of his body. A trip to Phoenix Children’s Hospital followed by bloodwork, CT scans… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Volunteer Pilots Help Owen Go the Extra Mile to Treatment November 15, 2022 Since 2011, the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, the 50 State Offices of Rural Health, and rural health stakeholders from across the country have set aside the third Thursday of November to celebrate National Rural Health Day (NRHD). This day promotes the “Power of Rural,” which brings much-needed attention to the ongoing efforts to communicate, educate, collaborate, and innovate to impr… Jessica Hayes Read More »
International Jet Donates 10 Hours of Flight Time to Angel Flight West Patients to Receive The Medical Care They Need October 26, 2022 International Jet, one of the finest and safest fleets in the industry, has donated 10 total hours of flight time on a Learjet 55 (N5572) to Angel Flight West, a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization that arranges no-cost, non-emergency air travel for children and adults with severe medical conditions and other compelling needs. Every day, Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots fly people to their medical app… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Dogs With Wings: AFW Partners with Search Dog Foundation October 24, 2022 Since our inception, Angel Flight West (AFW) has proudly joined forces with a range of non-profits that extend and enhance our mission of delivering health and hope through donated flights. In 2020, we embarked on one of our most enriching collaborations yet — by offering continued support to the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF). Command Pilot Jerry Phan takes to the skies with Keiki. Rescuing and rec… Jessica Hayes Read More »
International Jet Donates Flights to Angel Flight West Passengers October 12, 2022 Last month, International Jet donated 10 hours of flight time to help Angel Flight West’s (AFW) passengers travel between their homes and medical facilities, with stops being made in Wyoming, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, and Utah. Three different patients and their families boarded the LearJet 55, a mid-size jet with speeds up to 480 miles/hour. International Jet covered expenses related to the flight, inc… Jessica Hayes Read More »
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 »