MISSION STATEMENT |
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'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." |
JOIN OUR LIST |
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ACA CONFERENCE SAVE THE DATE! |
Angel Flight West
invites you to attend
our annual national public benefit flying conference!
Air Care 2010
April 16-17, 2010.
Reno, Nevada
Our conferences provide you the opportunity to
meet leaders from many other organizations, hear
from experts in various fields, discuss subjects
important for your group, and share your own
experiences and stories about the good work being
performed by your volunteers.
Reno is aptly known as the "Biggest Little City in
the World." Home of the famed Reno Air Races, Reno
boasts of fine dining, river adventures, exciting
casinos, fabulous shows, challenging golf and more.
Our conference will be held at the lovely Siena
Hotel, Spa and Casino, a beautiful boutique hotel on
the Truckee River on the edge of downtown Reno.
Ink this weekend in your calendar for a magnificent
conference and an exciting visit to the "Biggest
Little City in the World."
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ACA BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
2009 - 2010
Officers
Rol Murrow
ACA Board Chairman
Emergency Volunteer
Air Corps
Lindy Kirkland
ACA President
Angel Flight East
Jeanine Biron
ACA Executive Vice President
Angel Flight of Georgia
Jim Weaver
ACA Vice President
Angel Flight West
Keith Laken
ACA Secretary
LifeLine Pilots
Jeff Kahn
ACA Treasurer
Angel Flight East
Directors
Tami Bream
Angel Flight of Georgia
Sandy Johnson
Angel Flight of Georgia
Dan Meyer
LightHawk
Kevin Sell
Volunteer Pilots Association
Gary St. Peter
Operation Angel Planes of Rhode Island
Bill Worden
ACA President Emeritus
Angel Flight West
& EVAC
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ACA MEMBERSHIP |
Your Public Benefit Flying Organization can
enjoy the following benefits and more!"
-Networking
and engagement
-Awards and recognition
-Advocacy
-Information distribution and knowledge collection
-Volunteer opportunities
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ACA MEMBER LIST |
SEE WHO ALREADY FLIES WITH US!
Dozens
and dozens of groups serve our communities and those in
need, including international, national, regional, and
statewide groups - and even small local groups with just
a few pilots serving their immediate area. We provided a
long list of these groups at the Fly4Life tent and
exhibits at AirVenture.
The Air Care Alliance lists
and
makes referrals to all the groups we can find. If your
volunteer pilot organization is not on the Air Care
Alliance Listings Page at
Air Charity
Network
Air Mercy
AirLifeLine of Texas
Airlift Hope
Angel Flight Australia
Angel Flight Central
Angel Flight East
Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic
Angel Flight Northeast
Angel Flight of Alberta
Angel Flight of Georgia
Angel Flight of Oklahoma
Angel Flight of Vancouver Island
Angel Flight Southeast (Florida)
Angel Flight West
Aviation for Humanity
Bahamas Habitat
Brigade Air
Cair Flight
Challenge Air for Kids
Children's Flight of Hope
Christian Air Ministry
Civil Air Patrol
Corporate Angel Network
EAA Young Eagles
Emergency Volunteer Air Corps
Flights For Life
Flying Paws
Flying Samaritans
Freedom Flight
GivingFlite
Grace Flight of America
Grace on Wings
Great Commission Air
His Wings Aviation Ministries
Honor Flight
Hope Air
Hope Flight Foundation
Houston Ground Angels
International Shrine Aviation Association
Kids Wings
LifeLine Pilots
Liga - Flying Doctors of Mercy
LightHawk
Los Medicos Voladores
MedFlight of Indiana
Mercy Flight of Indiana
Mercy Flight Southeast
Mercy Medical Airlift and
Affiliates
Miracle Flights for Kids
Missions Made Possible
North Carolina Baptist Men Aviation Ministry
Northwoods AirLifeLine
Oklahoma Baptist Men Aviation Ministry
One Heart Mission Services
Pilots For Christ, International
Pilots for Patients
Pilots n Paws
Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps
Servant Air Ministries
SkyArk
SkyDoc
SouthWings
Veterans Airlift Command
Volunteer Mercy Pilots
Volunteer Pilots Association
Wings For Children
Wings of Hope
Wings of Mercy - East Michigan
Wings of Mercy - Michigan
Wings of Mercy - Minnesota
Yavapai County Sheriff's Air
Group
Youth With a Mission
...and more to come forward!
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Official Newsletter of the Air Care Alliance |
December 2009 |
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Greetings!
True Wealth
Rol Murrow, Chairman of the
Board
We all know that people often first think
of money when thinking of wealth. But as
we mature we realize that true wealth lies
in the enjoyment of our families, the
value we bring to our communities, and the
personal satisfaction we derive from
accomplishing much good in the course of
our work and our lives.
Especially now, when real concerns about
jobs, property values, and money are so
troublesome for so many, we should realize
how blessed we are in the volunteer pilot
community by being able to help those in
need, to put a smile on the face of a
child in treatment, to contribute to the
health of our planet, and to share the
experience of flight, perhaps inspiring
someone to get better or to reach for the
stars.
A nice thing about all of this is that we
can share this wealth of experience with
others in public benefit flying and it
seems to get multiplied, over and over.
Whether we do it by introducing fellow
pilots and others to the joy of
volunteering, or by sharing what we have
learned in running our organizations with
our colleagues from other groups at an Air
Care conference, this wealth keeps growing
by leaps and bounds, and increases our
collective ability to help others.
You certainly know how rewarding it is to
be involved in the world of charitable
aviation. It doesn't matter whether you
coordinate the missions or fly the planes,
whether you run a group or write a good
story for a magazine, your work is making
a difference in the lives of those you
have touched.
We also hope you have realized value from
your association with the Air Care
Alliance and all the volunteers and
supporters we promote from all the many
groups engaged in public benefit flying.
True wealth lies in what you and they are
all doing together, and in enjoying our
fellowship, sharing your wealth of
experience with so many others who are
doing it for the same excellent reasons.
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President's Message for 2010 |
A Seat at
the Table
Charles (Lindy) Kirkland
As
this holiday season rolls around, I am reminded of
scenes from my youth. Every Christmas, our extended
family would gather for a huge feast and friendly
conversation. We had a large dining table but it could
only seat all the adults and not the children. As a
sullen teen, I remember how humiliating it was to have
to sit at the card table with the younger kids and how,
as an older teen, I was allowed to sit 'at the big
table. Sitting at the big table was all about
maturity and acceptance and knowing your thoughts would
be heard by the larger family audience.
As I
reflect on 2009 and the Air Care Alliance, I am
recalling feelings from my youth and that feeling of
acceptance. Because of the hard work of many dedicated
volunteers over the last 20 years in promoting Public
Benefit Flying and fostering cooperation among the
various groups, I am learning that the general aviation
community sees the Air Care Alliance as a valuable
member with much to offer. We have been asked to "sit at
the big table" many times during over the years and have
had our thoughts, issues, and concerns heard and
understood by many leaders in general aviation.
Many
of the events of 2009 solidified this for me. The hugely
successful Fly4Life theme at EAA's AirVenture 2009 and
the central role that the Air Care Alliance had in the
planning and execution of Public Benefit Aviation
participation in that event showed how the EAA views our
organization. During the planning the leadership of EAA
noted that the Alliance was doing a superb job of
representing all of Public Benefit Flying and how they
valued our input to the process. We were commended for
our non-partisan representation of all types of Public
Benefit Flying.
AOPA
has also encouraged ACA over the years, having hosted
our first Air Care conference in 1990 at its national
headquarters. Since1994 AOPA has provided a booth at its
annual convention and often presented our seminars
there. In 2009 AOPA supported Public Benefit Flying in
many new ways. In a tremendous spirit of cooperation
AOPA supported the Fly4Life theme at EAA's AirVenture
2009, providing the audiovisal equipment needed for our
presentations. AOPA also asked ACA to provide input and
to help develop Public Benefit Flying as a component of
the GA Serves America campaign. As part of that
campaign, AOPA invited us once again to display a booth
at the AOPA Summit and to present a forum there on
Public Benefit Flying. Several other joint initiatives
are in development and I hope to be able to announce
some of those in the near future.
We
have continued to work very closely with the Alliance
for Aviation Across America during this past year,
including maintaining a seat on the Board of Directors
for that organization. We have been asked to participate
in a number of their outreach efforts to educate and
inform policy makers about the value of general
aviation. In many of these forums the participants have
cited the significant contributions provided by Public
Benefit Flying in numerous communities across the
nation.
I
say all that, not to boast about what the Air Care
Alliance is doing, but to emphasize the fact that the
tremendous work that each of you and your organizations
are doing in serving your communities is being fully
recognized by the greater general aviation family. Your
voice is being heard by the "big boys" and they are very
appreciative of the good reputation each of you has
garnered for general aviation.
The Air Care Alliance is proud
to represent you and your hard work in the many venues
in which we participate. We continue to ask for your
input and your support, and in turn we will do our
absolute best to help tell the good news of the
outstanding work you are all doing. I would also offer
our sincere thanks for a fantastic 2009 and our best
wishes for a wonderful Christmas and holiday season
and an even better 2010.
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We Are Flying Together Now! |
GivingFlite is now part of
Angel Flight Soars!
Member
Profile:
Dear Friends, Board Members, Pilots and Volunteers:
I have some very exciting news to
share with you about the future of GivingFlite.
But
first I'd like to reflect just a moment on our history.
Since 2004 we have been dedicated to arranging free
transportation for people in Alabama who needed to get
to and from medical treatment and didn't have the means.
We set up our first mission when an ordinary experience
by one of our board members took an extraordinary turn.
Todd Davis was on business in Mobile and stopped into a
convenience store. He saw a jar with a photo of a child
and a note asking people to donate to help pay for a
trip to Texas for medical treatment that the child
needed. Todd realized that GivingFlite was the answer.
He hastily wrote "I can help - call me" on the back of
his business card and we were off and running.
GivingFlite has always been a lean organization.
Most of us have full-time jobs and many other
responsibilities. We don't really have the time or
manpower to take it to the next level. We want what we
started to live on and to thrive! It is for that reason
that I am pleased to announce that as of
January 1, 2010 GivingFlite will become a part of Angel
Flight Soars (formerly Angel Flight of
Georgia) as they expand their operations in Alabama. Our
pilots will continue flying but under the new name. It's
a win-win for both organizations. The ultimate result
will be even greater service and availability to those
who need us.
Angel Flight Soars has helped us countless times since
our inception with advice and resources. We have gained
insights from their experienced management and staff. We
have linked with them on numerous flights over the years
and we know many of their pilots.
I will miss working with you all, but I am proud that we
are handing over our legacy to an organization that will
continue the good work and make us proud. The missions
that we fly are bigger than us.
Sincerely,
Linda Hill
President & Executive Director of
GivingFlite
For more information
on Angel Flight Soars (Previously Angel Flight of
Georgia), an ACA member, please visit their website at
www.angelflightsoars.org
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LightHawk Flies Above All! |
Two Different Worlds
Reprinted/Edited with permission from
LightHawk Waypoint Newsletter
October 2009, Issue 34
The thrilling call of the Common Loon is
inseparable from the idea of a North Woods
experience. For many people, loons signify
wilderness. For scientists with Maine Audubon
and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries
and Wildlife, the loon in the wild is a
barometer measuring the effects of climate
change, mercury and lead contamination in
lakes, and land lost to development. When
Audubon staff were concerned about loon
population decline they turned to LightHawk.
Two Aerial Surveys
The
loon counting flight required coordinated
flights over the many small and large
lakes scattered throughout northern Maine
that could provide habitat for loons.
Photo: Susan Gallo/Maine
Audubon/LightHawk
It had been 12 years since the
last aerial survey counted loons in Maine.
Research indicating lower chick productivity
since then was raising concern about the actual
population of loons in the region. The only way
to find and count loons in densely forested
northern Maine is in the late summer, via costly
flights over every likely lake in the
water-studded Maine woods. State of Maine
resources were limited, so in partnership with
state biologists, Maine Audubon requested flight
support from LightHawk.
The LightHawk-Audubon team flew half the
northern lakes in three segments over two days
with the state team flying the remaining half.
Volunteer pilot Pat Andrews characterized the
missions as "some of the most intense and
exciting flying I've done in years." Each team
used slightly different methodologies to assess
how best to approach future surveys. While
official reports are pending, the LightHawk
flights identified 73 birds on 44 lakes.
New
York City Audubon's Liz Craig holds a Great Egret
chick that has been outfitted with a transmitter
labeled AP. This bird's signal was heard at its
South Brother nesting colony until July 6, 2009.
Photo: New York City Audubon
This summer, radio transmitters were attached to
nine chicks. Normally, with highly mobile
species like egrets, chicks are located using an
antenna mounted on the strut of a high-wing
plane, but FAA approval for mounting such
equipment has become difficult. At the
suggestion of LightHawk Program Manager Kelley
Tucker, the Audubon team experimented with a
hand-held antenna inside the plane cabin. Early
in the first of three flights, the young bird
seen above was the first signal to be clearly
picked up and tracked. Others followed, adding
to scientists understanding of the niche these
birds have found in this dense urban
environment.
"In a few hours, we covered an area that
would have taken days on the ground. The flight
shed new light on how these birds use their
colonies during the breeding season and prior to
migration, and will be invaluable for local
stakeholders as they guide development in this
busy and highly valued region." Kate Ruskin, NYC
Audubon, Research Technician
LightHawk will continue to support the work of Maine
and New York City Audubon and other effective,
solution-oriented groups as they work to protect
birds and their habitats in our wild places and in
our most populated backyards. In the end, as we
protect them, we protect ourselves.
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General email:
mail@aircareall.org
Office Phone and Patient Transport Help Line:
Toll Free: 888-260-9707
Office Fax: 815-572-9192
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