Timmay wrote:
I may be way off, since I have never done it, but how stressful can
angel flights be?

Only as stressful typically as the pilot makes it (and no, I am not
talking about his/her piloting skills G).

New AF pilots put the stress on themselves. They feel pressure to make
a flight because "the patient is counting on me." They worry about
EVERYTHING. Most of all, I've found, they worry about interacting with
the patient. They envision:

Pilot: Good morning.
Passenger: What's so good about it... I'm dying!

Pilot: Have a nice day.
Passenger: If I live that long.

That's why "blood runs" (flights to deliver unprocessed blood to the
blood banks) is so popular with newbie AF pilots - no small talk
required. G

The truth is, all that pressure is strictly self-imposed. The
passengers know that any flight, even commercial, may be canceled or
delayed with weather or equipment problems. And as for their
"condition" - frankly, I've never met a patient who wasn't a LOT more
comfortable with their medical condition than the pilot was.

After the first flight or two, the pilot learns to relax, enjoy the
flight, and enjoy the company of a passenger who often has lots of
interesting stories to tell.

James Knox
AF-SC