"NW_PILOT" wrote in
:
Yes. It's what allows organizations such as AngelFlight to exist.
Be sure if you want to do that you look at the requirements it can be
real prohibitive. Angel Flight requires 300 hours Total time and 75
hours cross country 25 in make and model or something like that and
they charge you an annual fee to do it. Not sure of other
organizations i have only herd of angel flight. If I was to volunteer
my time and aircraft and the expenses that go along with it no way
would I want to pay an annual fee.
That answer is not entirely correct. Angel Flight is made up of six
different regional organization, under the unbrella Angel Flight
America. Although there is a move to standardize everything as much as
possible, each region sets its own specific requirements. Some only
require a Private Pilot license, while others want an instrument rating
and a minimum number of hours (for example, Angel Flight South Central
wants 200 hours PIC, total, and proof of insurance).
It's not as arbitrary or random as it may sound. Each region has
weather that may be unique - for example, Angel Flight North East has
long required an instrument rating, because it is so scuzzy up there so
much of the time. Whereas South Central only recently required one, and
the minimum 200 hours, and that was almost entirely due to insurance
requirements. [Actually, they still don't require an instrument rating
- but if you are VFR only then they want you to schedule an IFR backup
pilot "just in case." And with our weather, 95% of the time, VFR works
just fine.]
Check them out. Go to the web site and find your own region. Find out
what THEY want. And talk with other Angel Flight pilots. It's a great
excuse to fly, and a great feeling to help folks - whether you fly
patients or blood runs or whatever you do to help out.
James Knox
Director
Angel Flight South Central
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