Angel Flight is a non-profit organization in the United States and in Australia, British Columbia, Canada that helps arrange free, non-emergency transportation for patients who require medical treatment but can not afford to pay for a commercial flight. Transportation is provided by volunteer pilots, often using their own private general aviation aircraft. In most of Canada, the Volunteer Pilot Program of Hope Air provides a similar service. Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 36 6 Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 5th 944,735 km² 2. ... Look up Therapy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Therapy (in Greek: θεραπεία) or treatment is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a diagnosis. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows his find. ... Scheduled air transport is the the part of civil aviation that involves airlines operating passenger or cargo flights on fixed schedules. ... This group of political volunteers is working to promote voter turn-out. ... Aviators are people who fly aircraft either for pleasure or for a job. ... General aviation (abbr. ... An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ... Hope Air is a charity based in Canada that offers free air transportation to people in financial need who require medical treatment. ...

How Angel Flight Works

The Angel Flight organization itself does not provide transportation. Instead, it acts as a "matchmaker" between people who have a compelling need for transportation but can not afford it, and individual pilots who are willing to provide free flights as a charity. Aviators are people who fly aircraft either for pleasure or for a job. ... Allegorical personification of Charity as a mother with three infants by Anthony van Dyck Charity is a term that refers to giving. ...

Angel Flight typically serves patients who require specialized medical treatment from a facility far from their homes -- for example, a clinic that has expertese in the treatment of a particular form of a disease. In some cases, other compelling human needs are served, such as transportation to visit a hospitalized family member. A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ...

The Angel Flight process begins when a referring Health Professional, usually a Social Worker, contacts the Angel Flight organization. The referrer describes the points between which transportation is needed, the total number of people and weight, and the condition of the patient. Not every patient is eligible for transportation. For example, patients must be medically stable, capable of walking on their own and sitting upright unassisted. The flight must also not be for treatment of a medical emergency, because weather or other factors may cause last-minute cancellation of the flight. A social worker is a person employed in the administration of charity, social service, welfare, and poverty agencies, advocacy, or religious outreach programs. ... Weight in measuring human body weight in the medical sciences and in sports is a measurement of mass, expressed in units of mass such as kilograms (kg) or pounds (lb). ... Walking is the main form of animal locomotion on land, distinguished from running and crawling. ... A medical emergency is an injury or illness that poses an immediate threat to a persons health or life which requires help from a doctor or hospital. ... Composite satellite image showing the progress of a hurricane weather system approaching the East Coast of the United States Weather comprises all the various phenomena that occur in the atmosphere of a planet. ...

If the flight request is appropriate, the date, source, destination, and total passenger are added to an "available mission list" on the Angel Flight web site. Pilot volunteers periodically check the mission list and can assign themselves to a mission that is appopriate to their aircraft and schedule.

Angel Flight Pilots

Angel Flight is made possible by pilots who volunteer both their time and money for aircraft operating expenses. Many pilots provide Angel Flights in their own personal aircraft, although some do so using rental aircraft. Pilots must meet certain minimum flight experience requirements before they are allowed to command an Angel Flight mission. They also receive training on the special procedures required for Angel Flight. This group of political volunteers is working to promote voter turn-out. ...

Pilots have a variety of reasons for volunteering for Angel Flight missions. Most do so simply because they enjoy flying, and providing charity transportation is more constructive than getting a $100 hamburger or "drilling holes in the sky" (flying just for the sake of flying). Allegorical personification of Charity as a mother with three infants by Anthony van Dyck Charity is a term that refers to giving. ... A $100 Hamburger is aviation slang for a private general aviation flight for the sole purpose of dining at a non-local airport. ...

Sources

• Angel Flight America - National Umbrella Organization of all American Angel Flights
• Angel Flight Australia
• National Patient Air Transport Helpline
• AngelFlight Europe Web Site
• AngelFlight West Web Site
• Track recent Angel flights in the US
• Track recent Angel flights in Australia