Aviation Charities

The Keystone Heights Airport Authority encourages aviation activities that contribute to the betterment of the world we live in. We have provided a list below but cannot endorse them and we highly recommend that you study, and verify, any Charity Organization before donating time or money. Thank You.

Air Care Alliance
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.
Air Care Alliance
2060 State Highway 595
Lindrith, New Mexico 87029
Toll Free: 888 260-9707
www.aircareall.org
[email protected]

Air Charity Network
Air Charity Network™ (ACN) provides access for people in need seeking free air transportation to specialized health care facilities or distant destinations due to family, community or national crisis. Air Charity Network™ (ACN) is comprised of independent member organizations identified by specific geographical service area. Airlift Hope NC-TN, Angel Flight Central, Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, Angel Flight Northeast, Angel Flight™ Southeast, Angel Flight West and Mercy Flight™ Southeast coordinate volunteer pilot missions in the continental United States as well as Alaska and Hawaii. Mercy Medical Airlift coordinates free airline tickets for missions over 600 miles and negotiates low cost air ambulance service for individuals and families, who are in need of this special service. When requesting a flight, mission coordinators work diligently to successfully find a volunteer pilot or identify another appropriate transportation resource. Although many ACN member organizations have special volunteers who are “on-call” for last minute transplant, blood and special circumstance flights, our mission coordinators still appreciate as much time as possible to find the best transportation option for you. To locate the Air Charity Network™ organization that serves your area, call 800-549-9980.
Air Charity
Network 4620 Haygood Road, Ste. 1
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Toll free: 800.549.9980 ** **
www.aircharitynetwork.org
[email protected]

Challenge Air for Kids & Friends
Challenge Air for Kids & Friends offers motivational, inspirational and life-changing experiences to physically challenged children and youth through aviation. Challenge Air joins with communities and families to host exciting special events, nationwide, where they inspire physically, mentally challenged and seriously ill children and young adults by providing the opportunity to fly in small airplanes piloted by both wheelchair and non-wheelchair aviators. The Challenge Air program, which utilizes occupational, recreational, and educational therapy through flying, inspires thousands of special needs, challenged young people to soar above their perceived limitations. Challenge Air was founded for the purpose of giving these young people a chance and a choice to see the world from a different view. A view from the sky! The Challenge Air experience is offered to qualifying participants and families at NO COST and helps challenged young people renew their faith in themselves and strive to reach for the sky. They are taught to realize their dreams and goals are indeed possible.
Challenge Air for Kids & Friends
Company Headquarters Love Field Airport – North Concourse 8008
Cedar Springs Rd., LB24 Dallas, TX 75235
Phone: 214.351.3353
Toll Free: 1.877.FLY.KIDS
Fax: 214.351.6002
www.challengeair.org
[email protected]

Children’s Flight of Hope
Founded in 1991, Children’s Flight of Hope provides free private air transportation to and from distant medical facilities for children with critical medical needs. They seek to ensure that children within their service area are not denied access to medical treatment at distant facilities due to either financial need or a medical condition that precludes travel via ground or commercial aircraft. Children’s Flight of Hope seeks to not only ease the financial burden of air travel but also to provide comfort and hope to the families they serve by providing quality service and the utmost attentiveness to the needs of those they serve. Centered at Raleigh-Durham International airport, they service destinations within 600 nautical miles of the airport. Flight typically involves flying children from North Carolina to out-of-state treatment facilities or bringing children from out-of-state to facilities in North Carolina.
Children’s Flight of Hope, Inc.
113 Edinburgh South, Suite 203
Cary, NC 27511
Phone: 919.466.8593
Fax: 919.460.8160
www.childrensflightofhope.org
[email protected]

Civil Air Patrol
Growing from its World War II experience, the Civil Air Patrol has continued to strive to save lives and alleviated human suffering through a myriad of emergency service and operational missions. Perhaps best known for its search and rescue efforts, CAP now flies more than 85% of all federal inland SAR missions directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Langley AFB, Virginia. More than 100 people are saved every year by CAP! Often overlooked by vitally important is the role CAP plays in disaster relief operations. CAP provides air and ground transportation, and an extensive communications network. They fly disaster relief officials to remote locations, and support local, state and national disaster relief organizations with manpower, leadership and other valuable and needed resources. Also important is the transportation of time-sensitive medical materials including blood and human tissue in situations where other means of transportation are not possible. CAP also conducts damage assessment, radiological monitoring, light transport, communications support, and low-altitude route surveys in support of the U.S. Air Force.
Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters
105 South Hansell Street
Maxwell Air Force Base, AL 36112
Fax: 334.953.4262
www.gocivilairpatrol.com

Corporate Angel Network
Corporate Angel Network is the only charitable organization in the USA whose sole mission is to ease the emotional stress, physical discomfort and financial burden of travel for cancer patients by arranging free flights to treatment centers, using the empty seats on corporate aircraft flying on routine business. Staff works with patients, physicians, corporations, flight departments and leading treatment facilities to arrange 1,200 flights a year. Eligibility to participate is open to all cancer patients, bone marrow donors, and bone marrow recipients who are ambulatory and not in need of medical support while traveling. Eligibility is not based on financial need, and patients may travel as often as necessary.
Corporate Angel Network, Inc.
Westchester County Airport One Loop Road
White Plains, NY 10604-1215
Phone: 914.328.1313
Toll free: 866.328.1313
Fax: 914.328.3938
www.corpangelnetwork.org
[email protected]

Emergency Volunteer Air Corps
The Emergency Volunteer Air Corps promotes and coordinates effective and useful additional General Aviation volunteer participation in emergency relief efforts, especially following disasters. During emergency situations, EVAC pilots and other volunteers provide the resources of GA to help affected people and communities. While such help can be organized quickly on an ad hoc basis, it is better to plan beforehand so that lines of communication are clear and available resources are already identified. In addition, operations are safer and more efficient if periodic exercises are conducted. EVAC volunteers work at the local level with local agencies, and devise simple programs designed to involve pilots, airport businesses, and others in very basic preparations for disasters and other emergency situations. A priority mission for EVAC volunteers is transporting emergency service workers to areas affected by disaster during the first hours of response. GA pilots, operators, and support personnel using available helicopters and airplanes can contribute invaluable lifesaving services during major public emergencies, especially if provision is made for an effective organization and proper preparedness prior to an emergency and for disciplined response during one.
EVAC National Executive Office
2060 State Route 595
Gavilan, NM 87029
www.evac.org
[email protected]

Flying Samaritans
The Flying Samaritans is a group of professional from many different occupations interested in helping bring healthcare to people in Mexico. They are physicians, nurses, dentists, pilots, translators and others. Their purpose is to offer medical assistance and education to the people in rural areas of Mexico. In the role of primary care, the Flying Samaritans fly (and drive) to clinics where they provide non-emergency services, such as family medicine, optometry, audiology, dentistry and dental hygiene, and preventative health care. Most patients are the 60% of the Mexican population who are not eligible for Mexican Social Security medical care. Specialty care is a cooperative effort to provide specialty care at a single location, where follow up care is available. The Flying Samaritans also educate and train medical and dental graduates interested in additional education. Lastly, the Flying Samaritans assist with disasters and critical medical patients.
The Flying Samaritans International
13595 San Antonio Road
Atascadero, CA 93422-5317
www.flyingsamaritans.org

LifeLine Pilots
LifeLine Pilots is a private, non-profit organization that provides people in medical and financial distress with access to free air transportation on small, private aircraft for health care and other compelling human needs. Founded in 1981, LifeLine Pilots is the oldest regional humanitarian air care organization in America. Today the organization has almost 500 volunteer pilots who conduct several hundred missions annually throughout a 15 state region of the Midwest and beyond through flight linkages with sister volunteer pilot organizations.
LifeLine Pilots, Inc.
Byerly Terminal, Suite 302
Greater Peoria Regional Airport
6100 W. Dirksen Parkway Peoria, IL 61607
www.lifelinepilots.org
[email protected]

LIGA – The Flying Doctors of Mercy
Since 1934, LIGA International has been providing medical, dental and eye care to impoverished people in rural Mexico. Since its birth in 1934, LIGA has grown to roster almost 2000 physician, dentists, nurses, optometrists, audiologists, pharmacists, chiropractors, pilots, assistants, technicians and others. LIGA helped to establish several self-supporting medical, agricultural and industrial schools. The goal of these schools is to train young people in a vocation and encourage them to return to isolated places where their talents and training are needed. Medical, dental and optometric care is brought to the impoverished areas. At times, when necessary surgery cannot be performed at LIGA clinics in Mexico, patients are transported to California and other areas.
LIGA International Headquarters
1464 N. Fitzgerald Hangar 2
Rialto, CA 92376
Phone: 909.875.6300
Fax: 909.875.6900 ****
www.ligainternational.org

LightHawk
The mission of LightHawk is environmental, partnering with more than 130 organizations to provide environmental services including matching volunteer pilots and aircraft with requests for flights, assistance in project planning, and education and support in related areas that include the use of flight in environmental campaigns, effective media flights, the use of technical flights for image or data acquisition, and others. The diverse type of missions include guided educational flights for passengers who may be local villagers, community leaders or members of Congress; media flights for reporters, photographers, and filmmakers working on environmental studies; technical flights to support scientists working on habitat and species surveys; and surveillance flights that help document environmental crimes and land use conditions.
LightHawk International Headquarters
P.O. Box 653
Lander, WY 82520
Phone: 307.332.3242
Fax: 888.297.0156 ****
www.lighthawk.org [email protected]

LMV – The Flying Doctors
Los Medicos Voladores is a diverse group of medical professionals and volunteers dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the people of Mexico by providing free health care and education to rural villages. LMV’s programs are structured around short-term trips – usually four days long – to Northern Mexico. During each trip, medical, dental and optometric care is provided to inhabitants in the location of that specific trip. The LMV also has other programs throughout the year that allows them to help provide room and board costs for high school students, transportation for burn victims to the Bay Area for skin grafting procedures, and Christmas gifts and food.
Los Medicos Voladores
P.O. Box 5172
Fair Oaks, CA 95628
Toll free: 800.585.4LMV
www.flyingdocs.org
[email protected]

Mercy Medical Airlift
Mercy Medical Airlift (MMA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving people in situations of compelling human need through the provision of charitable air transportation. MMA’s mission is to facilitate a charitable means of long distance medical air transport for all medically indigent, low-income and financially vulnerable patients in society, thereby ensuring equal access to distant specialized medical treatment or to appropriate facilities and settings for continuing care. MMA operates a free, long-distance, ambulatory outpatient transport service for individuals in medical and financial crisis. Volunteer pilots link with other pilots nationally – together flying thousands of needy patients each year. ****
Patient-Travel is the nation’s only single source of referral information on the full spectrum of charitable long-distance air medical transport options. MMA offers this 24-hour nationwide hotline as a service in support of the National Charitable Air Transportation System. Patient-Travel serves to make referrals and provide “how to get there” assistance for any patient needing to travel to a distant specialized medical facility for evaluation, diagnosis or treatment. Patients served are people for whom the cost of long-distance travel for medical care is difficult financially.
Mercy Medical Airlift Patient Assistance Center
4620 Haygood Road, Suite 1 Virginia Beach, VA
Phone: 757.318.9174
Patient travel: 800.296.1217 (Travel helpline)
Fax: 757.318.9107
www.mercymedical.org
www.PatientTravel.org
[email protected]

Miracle Flights for Kids
The mission of Miracle Flights for Kids is to improve access to health care by providing free air transportation to hospitals across America; to promote awareness of their services through targeted outreach programs; to enlist the help of community-minded people through strategic calls to action; to promote the spirit of volunteerism. Miracle Flights for Kids believes that all children have the right to be able to access the best medical care, no matter where the treatment is located, and no matter what the personal or financial situation of their families might be.
Miracle Flights for Kids Headquarters
2764 N. Green Valley Parkway #115
Green Valley, NV 89014
Phone: 702.261.0494
Toll Free: 800.FLY.1711 Fax: 702.261.0497 www.miracleflights.org [email protected]

Northwoods AirLifeLine
Northwoods AirLifeLine is a non-profit organization of volunteer pilots from Michigan ‘s Upper Peninsula and northeast Wisconsin who donate their time and aircraft to help patients and their families with urgent medical needs for services not found locally. Since their founding in 1989, about 1700 missions have been flown, all at no cost to the traveler. Northwoods AirLifeLine helps meet the needs of individuals who are financially distressed, unable to travel by other means, or under severe time constraints. The most urgent transports involve transplant cases, since the window of opportunity to perform the procedure is small. They receive transport requests from chronically ill people who cannot drive long distances or afford commercial flights to specialized medical facilities. They also transport individuals beyond medical help who want only to be taken home to be with their families, a service not covered by insurance. Relatives of severely injured patients transferred out of area may themselves need immediate transportation to be with their loved ones.
Northwoods AirLifeLine
P.O. Box 2973
Kingsford, MI 49802-2973
Toll free: 800.311.1760
www.northwoodsairlifeline.org
[email protected]

Orbis
Orbis is dedicated to the prevention of blindness, the saving of sight, the delivery of training, the transfer of skills, and the creation of a world where quality eye care, education and treatment are available to every human being. ORBIS is a non-aligned, non-profit global development organization. Our mission is to preserve and restore sight by strengthening the capacity of local partners to prevent and treat blindness.
ORBIS International Headquarters
520 8th Avenue, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Phone: 646.674.5500
Fax: 646.674.5599
www.orbis.org
[email protected]

Pilots N Paws
Pilots N Paws® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our site is intended to be a meeting place for volunteers engaged in the valuable services of rescuing, sheltering and adopting animals, and volunteer pilots and plane owners willing to assist with animal transportation. The intent of Pilots N Paws is to provide an environment in which volunteers can come together and arrange or schedule rescue flights, overnight foster care or shelter, and all other related activities.
Through the Pilots N Paws discussion board, volunteers can exchange information regarding animal transports, coordinate and schedule transports, share rescue stories and recruit volunteers.
All participants are encouraged to check daily for new listings on the discussion board for purposes of volunteering or assisting in our effort to save animals. The discussion board is also intended for participants to develop friendships and relationships and to get to know one another because we are all working toward a common goal, to save the lives of innocent animals.
The only request for those participating is to be aware of the concerns of others. For that reason, the Paws N Paws discussion board includes links to information that is specific to pilots and those involved in the sheltering or rescue process. Aviation is a wonderful alternative to ground transportation, but those involved will have concerns not generally faced by ground transporters.
ANY RESCUE FLIGHTS THAT ARE ARRANGED THROUGH OUR ORGANIZATION’S DISCUSSION BOARD ARE CONSIDERED PILOTS N PAWS FACILITATED FLIGHTS. VOLUNTEERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO POST THEIR RESCUE STORIES ON THE PILOTS N PAWS DISCUSSION BOARD. HOWEVER, WHEN DOING SO, YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO SOLICIT FUNDS OR PROMOTE THE SERVICES OF ANY OTHER ANIMAL RESCUE, SHELTERING OR TRANSPORTATION ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO POSTING THIRD-PARTY ORGANIZATION NAMES AND LINKS IN SIGNATURE BLOCKS, WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF PILOTS N PAWS.
Pilots N Paws
4651 Howe Rd.
Landrum, S.C. 29356
https://www.pilotsnpaws.org/

SouthWings
Founded in 1996, SouthWings is a non-profit, conservation-minded aviation service committed to protecting the environment and conserving land and natural resources. Its mission is to use flight in advocacy for sustainable solutions to restore and to protect the ecosystems and biodiversity in the southeast. It uses GPS navigation equipment to locate and document threatened natural areas and resources and to pinpoint and inspect important lands worthy of conservation protection. It achieves compelling results by cooperating and coordinating with organizations conducting public policy, research and advocacy work to protect landscapes, historical landmarks and biological diversity. It combines conservation knowledge and professionalism with piloting skills. SouthWings collaborates with over 250 organizations and logs over 300 flight hours per year to educate civic, media and political leaders and to collect scientific data of vital ecosystems, forests, wetlands and riparian areas, and special habitats in the south.
SouthWings Inc.
35 Haywood Street
Suite 201
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: 828.225.5949
Fax: 828.225.7562
www.southwings.org
[email protected]

Volunteer Pilots Association
The Volunteer Pilots Association is a charitable non-profit organization providing air transportation to needy people who must travel to obtain medical treatment. The member pilots, flying privately owned general aviation aircraft, donate their time and flight expenses. They also transport donor organs and other time-critical medically related items. They can transport patients who do not require medical attention during their flight and who can enter and exit the aircraft with only limited assistance.
Volunteer Pilots Association
P.O. Box 471
Bridgeville, PA 15017
Phone: 412.221.1374
Fax: 412.221.1374
www.volunteerpilots.org
[email protected]

Veterans Airlift Command
The Veterans Airlift Command provides free air transportation to wounded warriors, veterans and their families for medical and other compassionate purposes through a national network of volunteer aircraft owners and pilots.
Veterans Airlift Command
5775 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 700
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
Phone: 952.582.2911
www.veteransairlift.org
[email protected]

Wings of Hope
The mission of Wings of Hope is to save lives, improve the quality of life and bring hope to people around the world where the utilization of aviation is vital to the accomplishment of these human endeavors. Staffed by over 300 skilled executives, pilots, mechanics and administrative personnel, Wings of Hope provides over 100,000 man-hours of volunteer work each year. Wings of Hope combats malnutrition, disease and harsh living conditions in remote areas of the world. In places where the terrain is rugged, roads impassable and travel by boat or oxen is too slow, an airplane from Wings of Hope can transport ill and injured people quickly and safely to clinics and hospitals. Wings of Hope can also easily and quickly transport medical supplies and services, teachers, development technicians, missionaries, food, seeds and breeding stock.
Wings of Hope
18370 Wings of Hope Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63005
Toll free: 800.448.9487
www.wings-of-hope.org
[email protected]

Wings of Mercy
Wings of Mercy provides free air transportation for people with limited financial means who need treatment at distant medical facilities. Since 1991 the charity has grown to include several chapters in the Midwest.
Wings of Mercy
10720 Adams Street
Holland, MI 49423
Phone: 616.396.1077
Toll free: 888.78.MERCY
Fax: 616.396.0650
www.wingsofmercy.org
[email protected]

Operation Air Drop
9/22/17 Also check out a new Organization called “Operation Air Drop”. They are not a 501(C) charity yet but working on it.
www.operation-airdrop.com