"Supporting the Nationwide Community of  Charitable Aviators
Flying to Help Others"

The Air Care Alliance

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VOLUNTEER PILOTS - FLYING TO HELP OTHERS sm

The Air Care Alliance is a nationwide league of humanitarian flying organizations whose volunteer pilots are dedicated to community service. This site will introduce you to us and to all the groups we list whose volunteers perform public benefit flying for health care, patient transport, disaster relief, environmental support, and other missions of public service.


    HERE IS YOUR ONLY ONE-STOP
CENTRAL LISTING for FREE AIR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES provided by volunteer pilots and dozens of charitable aviation groups.

     TO FIND A GROUP NEAR YOU: click the LISTINGS button here or to the left - and please give the page plenty of time to load - the listings are extensive!  

 

Read on below for the latest NEWS and for more information about the Air Care Alliance, pilot groups, and volunteer flying activities.  Whether you are a patient, family member, pilot, agency, or service provider, you will likely find what you are looking for by starting here!

Join our announcement list and we will send you important notices regarding volunteer pilot operations and events. 

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CRITICAL LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION: New information posted May 1, 2008: Senator Inhofe proposed an amendment in the Senate regarding Good Samaritan volunteer pilot liability relief legislation, previously introduced in Congress. The legislation's supporters are urging you and your group's members to act in support of this critical legislation. For details see the Legislation Page.

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AIR CARE 2008 is over - and was great! Our annual conference was held in Atlanta April 25-26, 2008. For more information visit the Air Care 2008 Page.

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NAA /ACA 2007 Public Benefit Flying Awards were presented September 17, 2007 in the U.S. Capitol Building!  See details of the awards on our site on our Awards Program Page.  The 2007 recipients are described on our 2007 Awards Page.

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AIR CARE ALLIANCE AND THE ALLIANCE FOR AVIATION ACROSS AMERICA: This coalition of general aviation pilots and groups fights for general aviation's ability to serve the nation! See the Special Bulletin
   AAAA Website: www.aviationacrossamerica.org
   See the Airports Journal Article on the campaign

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GENERAL AVIATION GROUPS AGREE - FAA USER FEE PROPOSAL ENDANGERS GENERAL AVIATION: Please click on one of the images shown to prepare your comments about how user fees might reduce your flying to help others. The campaign at the right is from the National Business Aircraft Association and you can prepare and send automated messages to your elected officials. Click on the image at the left to view AOPA's campaign against user fees including useful information about the fees. Using the links to your own officials you can prepare and send letters. In providing your comments please list your volunteer pilot organization and explain that you are a volunteer pilot donating your services to help those in need.

Note: the most effective letters are those written from your own point of view and containing your own experiences and your stories about those you and your group have helped. And the letters most likely to be read are those that are sent via fax to the fax numbers shown for the officials. Emails are often considered bulk mail, and because of security screening mailed letters are often greatly delayed.

ALSO - see the Alliance for Aviation Across America campaign link above, and the accompanying Airports Journal article link.

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FAA AIR TOUR RULES: Volunteer Pilot Public Benefit Flying Missions are not affected, thanks to ACA testimony. See our News Page for details.

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HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA RELIEF EFFORTS - many volunteers pitched in: Please visit our News Page for some guidelines on how to help and who to contact when disaster strikes. 

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BULLETIN: Rick Durden's AVweb article on ACA and Public Benefit Flying - see:  http://www.avweb.com/news/pilotlounge/189942-1.html.

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ACA's "COMPASSION"sm Call Sign: See the Regulations page.

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photo of volunteer pilot and plane with children he transportedMISSION STATEMENT: 

"The Air Care Alliance promotes, supports, and represents public benefit flying through communication and cooperation among organizations facilitating flights for health, compassion, and community service."

HOW PUBLIC BENEFIT VOLUNTEERS HELP OTHERS:

Using their own time and general aviation aircraft, pilot volunteers from the many public benefit flying organizations help hundreds of people each month. They and many other non-flying volunteers work to transport needy patients to facilities where they are able to receive medical attention they might otherwise have to do without. Many groups also play a significant role providing disaster and emergency relief, flying for environmental support,  or performing other community service missions.     

However, do note that these groups do NOT fly patients or supplies when insurance or other funds can provide commercial transport via air ambulance, charter, or airline. The public benefit flying volunteers fly only when financial need or other special circumstances mean a compelling human need would go unfulfilled.

Public benefit flying organizations utilize the unique capabilities of General Aviation aircraft to lend a hand whenever rapid and safe air transportation is needed to make health care accessible, save lives, or otherwise serve the public. Individual organizations with this mission have been in existence for decades, but in 1990 the need to share resources and coordinate efforts became clear. At that time AIR MED 90, the first national conference of public benefit flying organizations, was organized by Bill Worden, one of our founders, at the headquarters of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Thus was born the Air Care Alliance.

Please investigate the information on this site and on those we list on our next page.  You will learn about all the groups doing this work, discover the rich world of public benefit flying, and enjoy hearing about the generous people who use their skills and resources to help others.  We also provide information for pilots and groups regarding regulations applying to flights, and a page with links to many other health resources on the web.

Headline News:

New Public Benefit Flying group -  Wings to Wishes

This group works with a Spokane-based wish granting organization which provides seriously ill children the wish of their lifetime. Volunteer pilots of this new organization will fly children to and from their wish sites; or to and from a major transportation hub.  See their site at www.wings2wishes.org.

THE AIR CARE ANNUAL CONFERENCES are held each Spring.  See our CONFERENCES PAGE for information about this year's conference and for photos and schedules from prior years' conferences.

Our annual conferences provide a wonderful opportunity for highly motivated volunteer pilots, group leaders, and flight coordinators to meet and learn from one another at an information-packed and enjoyable gathering.


Doug Vincent Leads an Air Care Seminar

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Some Air Care Delegates

Other Stories on our NEWS page:

Articles on Volunteer Response to 9/11 crisis
AOPA PILOT MAGAZINE article "Compassion in Action
Photos from prior Air Care conferences.
 
"Learn to Fly" article in July 2000 Air & Space Magazine
"Compassion Seven-One-Golf" article in Air & Space Magazine

Pilots - Volunteers - Groups:

See our Resources pages for useful information about public benefit flying, including helpful links, details about the "COMPASSION" call sign, applications for membership, and guidance regarding FAA and IRS regulations.

Contacts:  See our Board and Contact List for complete information

Join our announcement and newsletter list by sending a request to newsletter@aircareall.org

Telephone:  

Patients needing transport: if you do not find help from a group in our Listings please do email us at mail@aircareall.org or call our help line number below.

NOTICE REGARDING DISASTER RELIEF INQUIRIES: If you wish to help as a volunteer pilot please first read all the information on this site about what you can do and then contact the groups in the Listings directly.  If you wish to contact the Air Care Alliance please send an email message to relief@aircareall.org - that way we can capture your information and forward it appropriately. If you prefer to call, use our helpline number below.

General email: mail@aircareall.org

Office Phone and Patient Transport Help Line:   
Toll Free:   888 260-9707

Office Fax:     815-572-9192

Electronic mail: General Information:  inquiries@aircareall.org
Webmaster:               webmaster@aircareall.org

The Air Care Alliance is the Recipient of 
  the 1996 Wolf Aviation Fund
Award 

                    

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To email the Air Care Alliance or join our announcement list please contact: mail@aircareall.org 
Air Care Alliance Organizational Contacts:    See Board and Contact List
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Copyright © 1998 through 2008  Air Care Alliance          Last modified: May 04, 2008