Rating to Transport People Voluntarily

I can't and won't add a lot to what James said here. Angel Flight
Mid-Atlantic as a requirement for an instrument rating and 250 hours PIC
time and 25 hours in type. There is no fee. The office staff is funded from
donations and as a rough rule of thumb for every dollar donated AF generates
3-4 dollars in patient services. And the pilots that volunteer for the
flights get a lot more than that back in personal satisfaction. You can
really make a difference in someone's life by providing this service.
--
Rich Badaracco
Director Angel Flight North Carolina
N1943T

"James M. Knox" wrote in message
2...
"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

Peter R. wrote
Having flown 40 missions, you certainly know of the overhead involved
not only in coordinating missions, but also in administrating the
volunteer pilots (maintaining proof-of-insurance, etc).

First, I resent being told I MUST pay. So do lots of other people.
I'm paying for the entire flight out of my own pocket; to expect me to
also pony up cash is just too much.

Second, I think much of the administration is bull****. In fact, as
far as I'm concerned the ONLY part that is not bull**** is the process
of scheduling missions. Period.

I think that maintaining proof of insurance, procedures manuals,
checkouts, and similar nonsense is - well - nonsense. I think people
who fly for Angel Flight are inherently responsible and will make sure
they're doing it right - the safety record certainly supports that. I
think that liability insurance only makes us a target.

Michael

Michael ) wrote:

First, I resent being told I MUST pay. So do lots of other people.
I'm paying for the entire flight out of my own pocket; to expect me to
also pony up cash is just too much.
snip

So, having experienced almost fifty flights where you made a
*significant difference* in the quality of life for several patients and
their families, are you saying you would quit tomorrow if a tax-
deductible, mid two-digit yearly fee were imposed?

Hmmm. I agree with you in principle. However, in this case I see the
greater good in what my volunteering means to those less fortunate and
would not be deterred by a fee that sets me back one dinner at a
restaurant (minus the wine) per year.

--
Peter

Peter R. wrote
So, having experienced almost fifty flights where you made a
*significant difference* in the quality of life for several patients and
their families, are you saying you would quit tomorrow if a tax-
deductible, mid two-digit yearly fee were imposed?

I might or might not, but I can tell you for sure that had that fee
been there from day one I would never have flown the first mission.
I'm sure there are lots of others like me. People who think that
those who won't pay the fee to join are just cheapskates who won't
contribute much anyway are just kidding themselves. It's costing them
pilots.

The reality is that the vast majority of the expense of operating
Angel Flight is borne by the pilots themselves. Trying to shift more
of the burden onto the pilots with these fees is simply obnoxious in
my opinion, and I don't have to put up with it.

And of course this is not the only option I have for doing things that
make a difference. No matter which way I turn, there are people who
need help, and thus I see no need to patronize obnoxious
administrators to help people.

Hmmm. I agree with you in principle.

And if Angel Flight is not about principle, what is it about?

Michael

"NW_PILOT" wrote in
:

I can understand the Flight time requirements and the insurance
requirements but to pay a mandatory annual fee I do not understand?

As stated on the Angel Flight web site "The cost to join is only $50,
and the annual dues are $35" I can understand charging non pilots a
membership fee but pilots that provide a volunteer service should not
be charged.

You wouldn't believe the battles that have been fought over that. MOST
of the Angel Flight regions do NOT have a membership fee. I can tell
you at AF South Central we have that fight in the board meetings every
five or six years. It's always been defeated.

There is a cost of having someone as a member... Newsletter mailings,
special event mailings, calls to try to fill that last-minute mission,
calls from a local wing leader inviting them to fly, etc. Plus, when
you sign up, you get "gifts." So the membership dues are as much to
keep the rolls clean of well-meaning pilots who are never going to
actually fly a mission as it is for any attempt to recover money.

It's a little like putting a sign up in your yard that reads "Puppies,
$5" vs. "Free Puppies." The $5 isn't the issue, but somehow if people
pay even a few bucks, they are more serious about it.

Having said that, it is the general belief that the pilots are already
donating huge amounts of their time and money in support of missions and
trying to get them to pay (even just a few bucks) for the privilege is
.... well, just plain tacky. So the dues have NEVER been approved in our
region.
jmk

(Michael) wrote in
om:

AFSC does not have a fee to join. If they did, I would not have
joined.

But hey, no great loss, I've only flown about 40 missions.

I assume you meant that last line jokingly... 40 missions is a hell of a
great contribution. That's a lot of people you've helped, and you can be
very proud of it.

We have a few folks (very few) who are really incredible and fly 50 or 60
missions PER YEAR. That's wonderful. And we have a LOT MORE (the vast
majority) who fly a couple of missions a year. Some are students who have
to collect empty pop bottles along the side of the rode for six months in
order to get enough money for a few hours of aircraft rental in order to
fly a mission. Each and every one of those flights help someone, and we
are most grateful and happy to have every one of those pilots.

jmk

"James M. Knox" wrote

There is a cost of having someone as a member... Newsletter mailings,
special event mailings, calls to try to fill that last-minute mission,
calls from a local wing leader inviting them to fly, etc. Plus, when
you sign up, you get "gifts." So the membership dues are as much to
keep the rolls clean of well-meaning pilots who are never going to
actually fly a mission as it is for any attempt to recover money.

It's a little like putting a sign up in your yard that reads "Puppies,
$5" vs. "Free Puppies." The $5 isn't the issue, but somehow if people
pay even a few bucks, they are more serious about it.

Having said that, it is the general belief that the pilots are already
donating huge amounts of their time and money in support of missions and
trying to get them to pay (even just a few bucks) for the privilege is
... well, just plain tacky. So the dues have NEVER been approved in our
region.
jmk

Seems to me a way to do it might be a $50 fee, which can be applied towards,
or refunded, against the cost of the first flight.
--
Jim in NC


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.782 / Virus Database: 528 - Release Date: 10/22/2004

"Morgans" wrote in
:


Seems to me a way to do it might be a $50 fee, which can be applied
towards, or refunded, against the cost of the first flight.

That was exactly one of the proposals -- that any years dues would be
considered "paid" if the pilot had flown at least one flight the previous
year.

In the end, AF South Central has always just rejected the dues completely.

jmk