VOLUNTEER PILOTS - FLYING TO HELP OTHERS sm
The Air Care Alliance is a nationwide league of humanitarian flying
organizations whose volunteer pilot members 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, educational experiences for youth, environmental support, and other missions of public service.
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.
 |
Air Care 2012 is coming soon on April 13 - 14! Pilots
for Patients will host us in beautiful New Orleans!
View the preliminary information at our Air Care
2012 Page.
|
| See our
latest Flight Following newsletter at
http://www.aircareall.org/ff-111220.htm
and
to receive
emailed copies. This issue
also contains
information about our next conference,
Air Care 2012 in New Orleans.
|
|
Read about
the 2011 National Public Benefit Flying Awards, presented at the
U.S. Capitol Building. Visit our 2011 Awards Page.
|
|
DID YOU SEE US AT
AIRVENTURE 2011? -
Volunteer Pilots and others helped out at the Public Benefit Flying
tent and made it their home away from home.
|
| AIR CARE 2011 was
great!
Our annual national conference was hosted by Operation Angel
Planes of Rhode Island. It was the year's place to be to meet
leaders of volunteer pilot organizations nationwide, share ideas, and learn
the latest news about Public Benefit Flying. We also enjoyed a delightful side
trip to Newport! Read about it on our
Air Care 2011 Page!
|
|
Air Care
Alliance Responds to NTSB Safety Recommendations:
Input from many groups shaped the letter. See the
NTSB Page
for the NTSB Recommendations, ACA's response letter, and ACA's recommendations
to volunteer pilot organizations.
|
|
Disaster Relief Information:
please visit our Relief information Page for useful guidance
on how you can help.
|
| Join 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
|
|
|
|
ACA's "COMPASSION"sm
Call Sign:
See our Regulations page.
|
MISSION 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.
About the Air Care Conferences:
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.
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
Keep in touch -
Click here and
to receive
our Flight Following eNewsletter
|
Patients
or others needing transport:
Please first visit our Listings Page.
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
especially our Relief information Page
for useful guidance about what you can do and then contact the groups
shown on our
Listings
Page directly.
Contact one or more groups that serve the area where you are based or wish
to work. If you have a
question and must contact the Air Care Alliance
regarding disaster relief please send an email
message to relief@aircareall.org
- that way we can capture your information and forward it appropriately.
That works much better than phone calls.
PLEASE send emails to
only one address.
General email: mail@aircareall.org
Office and Administration:
admin@aircareall.org
Office
Phone and Patient Transport Help Line:
Toll Free: 888 260-9707
Office Fax: 815-572-9192
Webmaster:
webmaster@aircareall.org |
The Air Care Alliance is the Recipient of
the 1996 Wolf Aviation Fund Award
