Volunteer Groups?

[Tankinbarber]

Do any of our Mooney Members participate in an aviation based volunteer group? I am looking to volunteer.

[mccdeuce]

I'm part of Veterans Airlift Command. Haven't participated in a bit hour but that's due to work and no longer having an airplane. 

Great organization. 

[Tankinbarber]

Just now, mccdeuce said:

I'm part of Veterans Airlift Command. Haven't participated in a bit hour but that's due to work and no longer having an airplane. 

Great organization. 

What does the program do?

[PeytonM]

Lifeline Pilots for over 20 years. lifeline pilots.org We are focused on central part of the country.  Check out Angel Flight West in your area of the country. Great use of the airplane!

[carusoam]

There are a few organizations represented around here...

You get to decide what kind of volunteering you like to do...

From moving dogs, to moving patients and family, moving veterans sounds really cool!

If flying important things around isn't quite your cup of java, yet.... consider helping out at a fly-in.  The mooney ambassadors is a good group of people with an interesting mission.

Find the organizations (search function here works) and go to their websites to see what their requirements are.

Best regards,

-a-

[Andy95W]

AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer for Y47 (which means I bitch to the county about our runway's deplorable condition).

Next Oshkosh, my wife and I will be volunteering at least one day, maybe at Kidventure.

[mccdeuce]

Veterans airlift command is moving veterans for medical needs or their families to them in medical facilities. 

http://www.veteransairlift.org/

[KLRDMD]

4 hours ago, Tankinbarber said:

Do any of our Mooney Members participate in an aviation based volunteer group? I am looking to volunteer.

I'm involved with Angel Flight West and it is a good organization. <http://www.angelflightwest.org>

But I'm much more involved with the Flying Samaritans (I'm on the board of directors and fly with them 4-6 times a year). Even though you're from Vegas you're welcome to come with us any time. This is a great group of people working toward a very good cause. <http://flyingsamaritansaz.org/Tucson/index.html>

[midlifeflyer]

Don't forget Pilots N Paws, transporting dogs (mostly), cats and others to new homes or at least places where they have better adoption chances.

[carusoam]

201er posted a video of a PALS flight he did.  An interesting insight to this type of flying.

Best regards,

-a-

[KSMooniac]

Don't forget Pilots N Paws, transporting dogs (mostly), cats and others to new homes or at least places where they have better adoption chances.

I'm flying my first dog on Friday! I've done about 20 Angel Flights so far, and 2 for VAC. Don't forget Young Eagles, and just introducing prospective pilots and owners to our wonderful world. I'm bringing one along tomorrow to try and set a hook in him.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

[StevenL757]

Angel Flight NE

Veterans Airlift Command

Pilots 'n Paws

...and love all three.

[Hank]

I need to fix my WWII panel before carrying people I don't know . . . But dogs won't care, right?  

[Flash]

Angel Flight is incredibly rewarding. You choose the missions that suit your schedule; you fly as often or infrequently as you want. No pressure to do more. You make a huge difference for people who have a real need. And you get to fly. You'd be with Angel Flight West. It's the third Angel Flight group for which I've flown, and they're each a bit different, but they all provided me with a great excuse to go flying. 

[midlifeflyer]

9 hours ago, Hank said:

I need to fix my WWII panel before carrying people I don't know . . . But dogs won't care, right?  

The kidding aside,many of the people who go with you don't know or care enough so long as the airplane looks nice and is comfortable to sit in (I know folks who have done Angel Flights in 2-seaters). But a lot of us are understandably hesitant about carrying strangers, especially on a mission of some importance.

 

The people groups (I'm familiar with 4 regional ones) are very supportive of the ultimate decision of the PIC whether to cancel a flight and patients are advised to have backup arrangements. You will likely have some kind or orientation into process and procedure. Plus, as a newbie, there's noting wrong with taking a" co-pilot" with experience with you on that first or first few flights.

But hesitation can still remain and the animal rescue groups are an excellent option. And the pets? They just know you are there to help them and appreciate it, like my buddy Toby here who hopped into the "J" like he'd been flying all his life.

 

[peevee]

I did some pilots and paws runs, I found it to be more difficult to organize than moving people, I'm an angel flight west pilot. I find thm much more organized and respectful of my time.

[Bob - S50]

Angel Flight West.  I try to do 2/month weather permitting.  W&B/seats permitting, I try to bring along a safety pilot and on the positioning legs I fly an approach under the hood for proficiency.

1.  Help someone who needs it and most likely can't afford it.

2.  Good excuse to go flying.

3.  Get a tax deduction.

4.  Keep your IFR proficiency.

5.  If you use Phillips 66 gas, save $1/gallon.

[peevee]

13 minutes ago, Bob - S50 said:

Angel Flight West.  I try to do 2/month weather permitting.  W&B/seats permitting,

 

this is the big thing for me. Always seems they want to take 3 fat folks and 150lbs of bags.

[midlifeflyer]

2 hours ago, peevee said:

I did some pilots and paws runs, I found it to be more difficult to organize than moving people, I'm an angel flight west pilot. I find thm much more organized and respectful of my time.

That's definitely for sure. It's not so much the difficulty than it is the way the organizations are set up.

The people movers typically have staff whose job it is to arrange the flights, including arrangements for connections on longer ones, even between organizations.

OTOH  PnP is basically a website posting missions and then leaving it up to interested pilots to work things our among themselves. The poeple who post the missions typically know nothing about what is involved in the flying part.

The first PnP mission I did started in Memphis and went  to Virginia Beach. I ended up being the only pilot, with the poor pup in 9 different cars over two days to get to me. 

[midlifeflyer]

5 hours ago, peevee said:

this is the big thing for me. Always seems they want to take 3 fat folks and 150lbs of bags.

LOL! When I was doing Angel Flight pilot orientations, I always made this a big point. Even without the 3 fat folks, many of them simply have no idea.  

During orientations, I used to tell the story of a friend of mine who did an Angel Flight. As usual, when he touched base with the passenger he asked the important question, "Have you been in a small plane before?" The answer was yes but as the time for the flight got closer, the passenger would call and ask things like, "Can I bring my cousin?' We'd like to do some shopping after my appointment." After a few of these, my friend finally said, "We really can't carry that much. I thought you have been in a small plane before." The reply was, "Yes. It was called a King Air."

[Marauder]

19 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

That's definitely for sure. It's not so much the difficulty than it is the way the organizations are set up.

The people movers typically have staff whose job it is to arrange the flights, including arrangements for connections on longer ones, even between organizations.

OTOH  PnP is basically a website posting missions and then leaving it up to interested pilots to work things our among themselves. The poeple who post the missions typically know nothing about what is involved in the flying part.

The first PnP mission I did started in Memphis and went  to Virginia Beach. I ended up being the only pilot, with the poor pup in 9 different cars over two days to get to me. 

I flew "regularly" for PnP but got frustrated often over time with the lack of coordination and the last minute changes. In fact, I stop flying for them. In a twist of fate, I flew out to Carroll County Maryland a couple of weeks ago and was in the pilot's lounge. I met a pilot who was on a PnP IFR trip. He told me that he had a similar issue with PnP and his wife took over the flight planning for their trips. I got his information and will be trying to do some flights for them. BTW -- he is 86 years old! He became my new idol!

[Danb]

Angel Flight East, and have done some Pilots N Paws, I'm going to look into VeteransAirlift, a major problem with my plane is I have a weight limit I like to follow which eliminates a lot of flights I otherwise would take, personally I like two person missions. It seems like most available are three folks thereby eliminating a mission I otherwise would take.

[peevee]

3 hours ago, Marauder said:

I flew "regularly" for PnP but got frustrated often over time with the lack of coordination and the last minute changes. In fact, I stop flying for them. In a twist of fate, I flew out to Carroll County Maryland a couple of weeks ago and was in the pilot's lounge. I met a pilot who was on a PnP IFR trip. He told me that he had a similar issue with PnP and his wife took over the flight planning for their trips. I got his information and will be trying to do some flights for them. BTW -- he is 86 years old! He became my new idol!

It's just pure disrespect for my time and resources that drives me crazy. Someone will post a flight for tomorrow, you'll email them to take it and won't hear back for a week because they made the posting and just went out of town camping for a week. You'll set something up and they'll flake out.. Then they act like it's no big deal for me to spend my own money to fly 4 hours to pick up some dogs, with no comprehension of the costs. 

 

As mention the afw coordinators do a great job. Stuff is nailed down and if I have to scrub for weather they have a plan B. Last one I canceled because of mod to Sev tb and destination winds like 25 gusting 35 or 40, and same story about the passenger flying on a small plane. It was a pc12 or king air. 

With afw the real problem now is a lack of available missions.

[jlunseth]

Angel Flight.  I fly for Angel Flight Central.  We all give to charitable organizations (I hope we do) knowing that somewhere between 30 and 70% of what we give goes to pay the salaries of the people who will come back next year and ask for more money.  With Angel Flight your entire gift goes to the person sitting in the right seat, and you get to spend some time with them.  I find it very rewarding, but it would only be fair to warn you that it is not always easy.  Some if the people you will fly are in the middle of a fight for their life, and it is not always easy to watch.  They are always grateful of the help you give.

[ArtVandelay]

I can't believe y'all doing angel flights with a Mooney, it's hard enough getting in/out for a healthy person, not to mention possibly having problems with the high altitudes?