Angel Flight - How Angel Flight Works

How Angel Flight Works

The Angel Flight organizations themselves do not provide the transportation. Instead, each acts as a "matchmaker," connecting people who have a compelling need for transportation but can not afford it with individual pilots who are willing to provide free flights as a charity.

Angel Flight volunteers typically serve patients who require specialized medical treatment at a facility far from their homes—for example, a clinic that has expertise in the treatment of a particular form of a disease. In some cases, other compelling human needs are served, such as transportation to visit a hospitalized family member, or transportation helping in time of emergencies or disasters. Many of the public benefit flying groups helped in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, for example.

The Angel Flight process usually begins when a referring health professional, usually a social worker, contacts an Angel Flight organization. The referrer describes the points between which transportation is needed, the total number of people and weight, and the condition of the patient.

Not every patient is eligible for transportation. For example, patients usually must be medically stable and capable of walking on their own and sitting upright unassisted. The flight must also not be for treatment of a medical emergency, because weather or other factors may cause last-minute cancellation of the flight. Often a doctor's signoff is required. Therefore, these flights are not considered to be air ambulance services.

If the flight request is deemed appropriate then information concerning the date, source, destination, and total passenger count is added to an "available mission list" on that Angel Flight web site or other notification list. Pilot volunteers periodically check the mission list and can assign themselves to a mission that is appropriate to their aircraft and schedule.