Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots carry out acts of generosity each day by donating their time, talent, and resources to help others. Each time a mission is flown, a patient accesses the healthcare resources they need while being uplifted with hope.
Meet the volunteers who make it all possible in this monthly newsletter and, if you’re a pilot in the West, get involved today by visiting angelflightwest.org/pilot-page.
Volunteer Pilot: Rachel Witt
Wing: Colorado
Aircraft: Cessna 177
AFW Member Since: 2024
Tell us a little about yourself and how you got involved in general aviation.
I’m originally from Georgia but currently live in Colorado. I come from an aviation family — my dad was a pilot, and my mom was a flight attendant. It wasn’t until my dad retired that I became interested in aviation because I had never seen someone genuinely sad to leave a job behind. Eventually, I got my private pilot license to spend more time with my dad and began to fly as a hobby! I found it to be a great way to spend time with my family.
How did you hear about Angel Flight West? What made you decide to sign up?
I was looking for more opportunities to fly and wanted to make flying more than just a hobby. I wanted to find ways to give back and Angel Flight West came up. It was exactly what I was looking for.
Tell us about your missions. Have there been any particularly impactful experiences that you’ve had that you would like to share?
Every single passenger has been great, and I’ve been able to fly with some of them on multiple occasions. However, flying with Luis has been such a meaningful experience. I flew him on his first Angel Flight to Denver. It has been so wonderful flying with him — we’ve made such a great connection! When I saw that he needed a flight, I quickly signed up for it. He’s the sweetest person alive and painted me a picture! It’s been really rewarding to be able to fly with him multiple times and check back in with him.
Why should other pilots look into getting involved with public benefit flying by signing up with Angel Flight West?
Since being involved with Angel Flight West, I’ve made so many new friends within the aviation community. The flight coordination team is so supportive, making it easy to execute missions and just focus on flying. It is a big time commitment, but it is so rewarding to be able to turn your hobby into something that helps others in need.
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Learn more about our mission today at angelflightwest.org/pilot-page
Sign up to change lives through gifted flights at afids.angelflightwest.org/join
