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 »
Providing Flights to Veteran Support Programs: Michael’s Story of Hope July 8, 2022 Angel Flight West is honored to provide flights to help service members reach veteran transition assistance programs. Michael’s story is one that resonates as we strive to connect more passengers with flights to needed medical treatment and support programs throughout the Western United States. Coming home from the Iraq War, Army veteran Michael struggled to find his place back in so… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Medical Transportation for Kaylie: Soaring Since Age 2 June 29, 2022 Four years ago, Kaylie was born with Type 1 Citrullinemia, a rare genetic malformation that causes ammonia and toxic substances to build up in her bloodstream. If left unchecked, Kaylie’s condition could leave her comatose and permanently brain damaged. Before her second birthday, Kaylie had already received a liver transplant — just one of numerous healthcare procedures needed to manage her condition and requ… Jessica Hayes Read More »
The Gift of Flight and Time June 16, 2022 A volunteer pilot since April 2020, Kosta Constantine has logged more than 27,000 flight hours in his trusty Beechcraft Baron. Lately, some of his most treasured time in the air has been spent with Nicole H. — including during her fourth birthday. At a time when other kids might solely be focused on games and toys, Nicole and her mom, Mirna, have had other important things on their wis… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Angel Flight West’s Passenger Assistance Fund February 23, 2022 The Mission Ops Team at Angel Flight West strives to make sure that each and every passenger and family we work with is well served and reaches their desired destination. The first and foremost way that happens is you – the volunteer! Whether you fly your plane or drive your car, you make it happen for them, with your heart and your generosity. But sometimes circumstances are such that a mission can’t be completed by o… Cheri Cimmarrusti 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 »
What is Hard IFR? February 20, 2022 Winter is almost over (but not quite) and the weather is changing. Spring is a time of quickly developing weather systems and unpredictable weather. Not that long ago I sat in my house in the Cascade foothills at 1,800 MSL and watched the effects of the portion of the “bomb cyclone” that passed through our region. We didn’t get it as bad as other places like Northern California but I was looking at hig… Kaitlyn McQuown 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 »
A Mother’s Reflection: Angels in Hawaii February 17, 2022 January 28, 2021 was a day our family will never forget—our lives were forever transformed with our six-year-old son’s diagnosis of a brain cancer called Medulloblastoma. At the very start of this journey, we were transferred by air ambulance from our island, Maui, to Oahu, because our community did not have the resources needed to treat our son. We knew this would be a challenge we would have to face on our son’s road t… Kaitlyn McQuown Read More »
