Volunteers Give Patients an Extra Bit of Light and Hope March 28, 2023 Four months ago, amid raising five children between the ages of nine and sixteen, Margo received the shocking diagnosis of breast cancer. “From one moment to the next, anything can turn on a dime,” she says. “You think of nothing but getting better and getting to and from appointments.” But getting to care would prove to take more time and travel than expected. Margo’s best option for treatment was hundreds of m… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Meet the Honorees: Volunteer Pilots to be Recognized at Endeavor Awards March 24, 2023 Stephen and Joanna Bobko-Hillenaar of Angel Flight West (AFW) have been selected to be honored at the 2023 Endeavor Awards. Selected by the public and event committee, recipients of the award are recognized for their personal contribution and commitment to charitable flying by volunteering their time, resources, and aircraft to help others. Stephen and Joanna Bobko-Hillenaar of Angel Flight West “We… Jessica Hayes Read More »
When Medical Care is States Away March 14, 2023 Jen had just made the big decision to accept a new position in Southern Oregon when another life-altering event crossed her path. “I found out I had Stage 1 ovarian cancer,” says Jen. “It was a huge shock. It doesn’t run in my family. And not to mention, I was in the middle of moving from Colorado to Oregon for my new job, so everything was already expensive.” As with most career transitions, Jen had a lapse in her employer-o… Jessica Hayes Read More »
From Flights to Friendships: Meet Teylor February 22, 2023 Teylor was 18 years old and opening a food truck at a local fair in Bedford, WY with two other teens when the unimaginable happened. As soon as the grill was lit, the propane exploded, filling the inside of the trailer with flames. Teylor was life-flighted to University of Utah, suffering second- and third-degree burns to 49% of her body. Her parents Shawn and Stephanie quickly drove the four hours to Salt Lake City to… Jessica Hayes Read More »
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 »
Wyoming Community Foundation & Angel Flight West: Bringing Health and Hope to Patients Across the State January 30, 2023 Laramie, WY – The Wyoming Community Foundation has partnered with Angel Flight West to reach more Wyoming residents who need transportation in order to access health care and other essential services far from home. “Through our network of volunteer pilots and airline partners, Angel Flight West (AFW) arranges free flights for patients in Wyoming and 11 other Western states,” explains AFW Executive Director Jos… Jessica Hayes Read More »
The Difference a Year Makes for Young Burn Survivors December 28, 2022 Angel Flight West Volunteer Pilot Peter Danzig flew Danielle and her son to the faraway destination, with Petertaking some extra time to show CJ parts of his plane when they landed. “It was so good for CJ to experience this,” comments Danielle. “Every time he sees a plane, he says he’s going to learn how to fly one day.” Jessica Hayes Read More »
Volunteers Takeoff on Third Annual Flights of Joy December 15, 2022 Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots are transforming their planes into sleighs, bringing holiday joy to families struggling with medical or personal challenges and the financial burdens related to their healing and recovery. Flights of Joy, AFW’s Adopt a Family program, started in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Knowing that many families battling illnesses were also experiencing financial hardships, An… 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 »
What Can We Learn from Accidents? December 2, 2022 I was about to send out a Safety Newsletter on a different topic, when a recent event changed my mind. On a recent Saturday I had just returned from practicing a number of stalls in our Cessna T206, which I always enjoy doing. I was on the ramp at the Crownair FBO at MYF (Montgomery) talking with the line staff there. Looking north towards the runways, we noticed a Cirrus SR20 flying westbound over Runway 28R. It initially a… Rich Pickett 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 »
Angel Flight West Remembers Miles the Brave December 2, 2022 Each of our passenger’s stories make an impact on me, and it’s never easy to lose anyone from the Angel Flight West (AFW) family. Today, I am honored to tell you about Miles, a loving child who touched the hearts of our volunteers and team members. Miles battled brain cancer for two years before passing away on October 21, 2022 surrounded by friends and family. His memory remains etched in the hearts and mi… Jessica Hayes Read More »
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 »
