Flight Following
News from the Air Care Alliance. Supporting, promoting, and representing volunteer pilots and charitable aviation.
With welcome news of the COVID-19 vaccines, there have been some common questions regarding the vaccine and volunteer pilots. Can they deliver it? Can they receive priority to get it? Read on to learn more… Which vaccines are approved by the FAA for use by pilots and are there any special considerations? The Pfizer […] Read More
The National Aeronautic Association (NAA), in partnership with the Air Care Alliance (ACA), a nationwide league of humanitarian flying organizations, is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2020 Public Benefit Flying Awards.These awards were created to honor volunteer pilots, other volunteers, and organizations engaged in flying to help others, as well as those supporting […] Read More
You’ve received your new CMF call sign and are ready to fly your first volunteer flight using it. Great! The COMPASSION call sign has many benefits. It alerts ATC that you are on an important charitable mission and provides a measure of safety and comfort for your passengers. Controllers may be more likely to clear […] Read More
“…on a day that aviation was used as a weapon, it was also used as a means of rescue, relief and recovery by selfless aviators who picked themselves up and dove into constructive action in spite of the confusion.” Read the story of how volunteer pilots and organizations became a lifeline after 9/11. In the […] Read More
Volunteer Pilots are exceptional people–there’s no doubt about that. But what motivates them? How do their experiences shape their volunteerism and sustain their interest? PhD candidate Melanie Porter wants to find out. Her research seeks to investigate and discover the motivation factors that prompt an individual to participate in continued volunteer engagements. The study aims […] Read More
Those involved with volunteer flying have likely felt the frustration of limited pilot resources. We all want to be able to complete more flights, but let’s face it, flying is expensive! There’s a limit to the amount any pilot can give. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could defray a pilot’s cost of flying charitable […] Read More
Written by Rick Durden, Vice President, Air Care Alliance Originally published by Air Care Alliance, March 2017 Updated and republished in June, 2020 Introduction: The FAA has been cracking down on illegal part 135 operations, increasing both investigations and enforcement actions against pilots and operators. On May 22, the FAA sent an informational letter to […] Read More
Air Care Alliance is pleased to announce the election of three new Members to its Board of Directors: Mark Hanson, Jim Stratton and Katharine Zimmerman. “Our Board of Directors is comprised of a dedicated team of leaders committed to fostering and enhancing charitable aviation,” said Jim Hesseman, President of Air Care Alliance. “We are excited […] Read More
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly changed life as we know it. Amid an aviation industry nosedive, sweeping stay-at-home orders, and widespread panic, the Public Benefit Flying industry–like so many others–is left to wonder what the future holds. Each year, more than 25,000 flights are made by volunteer pilots across the country in support of humanitarian […] Read More
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FAA has issued a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) the extends the duration of medical certificates to all pilots. It also provides relief from recent flight experience requirements, but only to certain pilots and operations. The FAA emphasizes that apart from the limited relief provided by the SFAR, […] Read More