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Pilot/ Aircraft Needed To Transport Ailing 92 Year Old


RonM

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Fellow Pilots:  My friend in Florida has a 92 year old father in Re-hab.  He may want to transport him by air to Nassau County New York at some time in the near future. (Not immediately.)  To my knowledge the father does not have any Covid-19, but of course that can be followed up on.  Also I assume the father is not in great shape given he is 92 years old and in re-hab, but of course we can follow up on the specifics of that too.  Does anyone know a suitable pilot/ aircraft who would be interested in this type of mission?  I am sure my friend expects to pay but I did not discuss that with him. I told him I would inquire on Mooney Space.  Much thanks for any comments / response on this.    Best - RonM

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An A-36 / G-36 with double back doors would  be so much easier for him to get / be loaded in and out. Just saying . . . .

I had one arranged for my wife's 94-year old great uncle when he was inducted into the WV Agriculture Hall of Fame, but he was in the hospital with MRSA and they wouldn't let him go.

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I was thinking the same thing. A Mooney is the best of all aviation worlds, of course, unless you happen to be a 92-year-old stroke victim. A call to Angel Flight might be in order, as they have access to a variety of sizes and configurations.

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A good place to get ideas...

https://angelflighteast.org

The potential amount of fuel that gets used for 1800 mile round trip... may be about 200gallons... for a Mooney... 6 hours each way...

Has the person been in a small airplane before..?

All things are possible... the more experience the better...

I used round numbers to help visualize the project...

As far as judging how capable the guest is... no two stroke victims share the same challenges... some may really enjoy the flight... depending on the individual... :)  some may be challenged by getting in and out of the plane...

I know of a few MSers that have flown with people that have TBIs...  :)

Keep exploring deeper.

@Yooper Rocketman has lots of experience in these areas.... so I invited him to visit this thread...   :)

PP thoughts only, not a pro-pilot...

 

Best regards,

-a-

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I used to co-run  a medical charter with a Cheyenne II way back in the day. It was speedy, but I have to think there would be a number of charters available if he needs professional care and the $ aren't an issue. 

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11 hours ago, RonM said:

Fellow Pilots:  My friend in Florida has a 92 year old father in Re-hab.  He may want to transport him by air to Nassau County New York at some time in the near future. (Not immediately.)  To my knowledge the father does not have any Covid-19, but of course that can be followed up on.  Also I assume the father is not in great shape given he is 92 years old and in re-hab, but of course we can follow up on the specifics of that too.  Does anyone know a suitable pilot/ aircraft who would be interested in this type of mission?  I am sure my friend expects to pay but I did not discuss that with him. I told him I would inquire on Mooney Space.  Much thanks for any comments / response on this.    Best - RonM

The title to this post says he is ailing. So, unfortunately, he is 92, coming out of re-hab and ailing. No way would a 800-900 nm trip in a Mooney be pleasant for him.  In addition to that would the pilot be comfortable being ready to make an emergency landing at any point during the flight?

Commercial carriers are almost empty right now. Southwest has a non-stop from Orlando (MCO) to Islip (ISP), maybe other cities in FL do also. Two and a half hours in pressurized comfort and he's there, with a restroom on board. If that doesn't work, maybe a 2-3 day drive in a comfortable vehicle with stops along the way.

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Sounds like a Bonanza with rear door access would work the best.  Not too many "recovering" 92 year old's would be able to board  and de-board a Mooney with the wing access and drop down into the cabin area.  I HAVE done a few challenging ones by removing the passenger seat so they could step down and sit in the back.  Contacting Angel Flight might be a good option.  I just coordinated a Northwoods Airlifeline flight ( a U.P. based mercy flight org) for a similar aged man coming from Gulf Shores, AL to Detroit by airline. Our Seneca III picked him up at DTW and flew him to Manistique (ISQ) in the U.P.  Our flight count is down right now but we are not shut down.  Just taking lots of safety measures.  That flight was taken by an ER Doctor.  I felt pretty comfortable all precautions were taken as required.

Tom

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Thank you all for the very thoughtful responses!  Much appreciated!  I have read each message and forwarded them all  to my friend who has the 92 year old father.  You are all quality people and very generous with your time and your knowledge.  One of the great things about being a pilot is the quality people I associate with.  I definitely did not think a Mooney was a good solution, but this Mooney Space was the only resource I knew to ask the question, although someone mentioned the Beechcraft Blog.  Certainly my friend now can weigh his options including hiring a pilot / aircraft to transport his father to Long Island from Florida.  I hope everyone stays safe and healthy!   Regards - RonM

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