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.
Pilot Name: Victor Asp
Wing: Washington
Aircraft: PA-28R-200 Piper Arrow II
AFW Member Since: 2016
Please tell us a little about yourself and how you got involved in general aviation.
I have always been interested in aviation. Going to Oshkosh as a kid was exciting and was probably the impetus to go to college to be an Aerospace Engineer. I was then fortunate to work for Boeing for 37.5 years and have just recently retired. I’ve spent my life reading about airplanes, building many airplane models, and flying RC airplanes; finally, when I had enough money, I received my pilots license in 2000. It wasn’t until 2015 that I was able to purchase my first airplane. I love it because there is always more to learn and experience in aviation.
How did you hear about Angel Flight West? What made you decide to sign up as a volunteer?
After giving all my friends and family rides in my plane, I was looking for something more to do. Feeling very fortunate to be able to fly, I wanted to give something back. I think I saw someone post in an aviation Facebook group about Angel Flight West — so I looked into it. It wasn’t long afterwards that I completed my first mission. My own daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 10 years old. We were very fortunate to live just a mile away from a children’s hospital. I can only imagine the difficulties for families who aren’t so fortunate.
Please tell us about your missions. Have there been any particularly impactful experiences that you’ve had that you would like to share?
I’ve flown missions in and out of the San Juan Islands where driving a car can take several hours just to get to the mainland and hospitals located there; reducing that to a 15-minute flight is a huge benefit to people. I have also enjoyed transporting blood donations from distant blood drives for Bloodworks Northwest, an organization where I also donate blood. Taking doctors and kids to their specialty camps during the summer is also something close to my heart. It’s easy for me to see the need in all the missions I have done and that makes flying very special to me.
Why should other pilots look into getting involved with public benefit flying by signing up to volunteer for Angel Flight West?
Only about 1 in 700 people are pilots in the U.S., so it makes us a rare and fortunate group. Spreading some of this good fortune to causes and people in need is really rewarding. There are always missions available to fly (and drive), so I never have to look too hard for something that meets my schedule and capabilities. I can see that the need for pilots is always there in today’s limited healthcare environment.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your time with Angel Flight West?
It’s been very rewarding to give back in the special way I can as a pilot, and having recently retired, I feel that I am just getting started. I hope that as my skills and abilities grow (I will be starting IFR training soon), I will be able to fly more missions thereby helping people’s lives in meaningful ways.
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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.
