The nonprofit, volunteer-driven, non-emergency air transport organization Angel Flight West is inviting all other volunteer pilot organizations to use its new software and database system at no cost. The system facilitates management of personnel and flight requests and includes debrief capabilities “through a user-friendly, robust filtering system,” according to the group. By offering the system, free of charge, the organization hopes both to reduce the workload of individual volunteers who process and coordinate missions for similar groups, and to facilitate the expansion of public-benefit flying organizations. Angel Flight West saw a surge in activity in 2012 that left them seeking additional volunteer pilots.
The organization generally transports people in need of vital healthcare who can’t take a commercial flight due to health, financial or geographic considerations. In 2012, Angel Flight West flew roughly 5,000 missions but had to cancel a record number of missions due to lack of pilots. (Pilots can sign up online, here.) AVweb recently spoke with Angel Flight West’s Colleen Kendall, who offered more details about the organization’s mission and the role of volunteer pilots in this exclusive video.
