163. Angel Flight West Pilots: And Those They Serve

Angel Flight West and the 1,800 pilots who volunteer their time and the cost of the flights so that complete strangers can get to life-saving medical appointments for free. These passengers need to travel hundreds of miles to reach their critical medical treatments, or are unable to afford the cost of flying, or face a long drive which itself could be life-threatening.Hear about the impact that these flights have had on several of our passengers. You'll learn the story of one pilot, who has flown a particular passenger more than 300 times. For the passengers, the flights are life-savers. For the pilots, "every flight is a rewarding journey that reminds us how fortunate we are, and the importance of helping those in need."Our speaker, Clay Ross, recently became the Northern California Wing Leader for Angel Flight West, an organization whose volunteer pilots provide free medical transportation to patients in need. He has been flying patients for more than five years and is very passionate about the mission and the organization. He is excited to share some of his experiences with Angel Flight West, and to use his new role to help expand the impact of the organization and serve more people. Clay is an instrument-rated private pilot who has been flying for more than 40 years.Outside of Angel Flight, Clay has been a very active volunteer in the Scouting America organization, serving as scoutmaster for a decade, and in leadership roles in the scouting district and council for seven years. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout as a youth and is committed to mentoring today’s youth to be strong leaders and good citizens. In recognition of his service, he has received the District Award of Merit and the Silver Beaver Award, one of Scouting's highest honors.To learn more, go to:Angel Flight West: https://angelflightwest.org/Watch a passenger testimonial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLfwVqRKCDI Watch "Flying with Angels": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgGd-Lkp9KgAir Care Alliance: https://aircarealliance.org/