Morse has christened the effort Honor Flight, and organized support from veterans’ groups and local businesses, who chipped in to provide meals and ground transportation for the travelers. The pilots paid the Aero Club rental fees, or flew their own airplanes. “It was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” pilot Ron Smith told AVweb on Tuesday. “When we landed back at Springfield that night, there were 200 people there to greet us, waving flags … that’s when the veterans really got very emotional.” Honor Flight already has more than 150 vets on a waiting list to make the trip. And “sadly, time is not on our side,” says the group’s Web site. Another trip is planned for June 11. “We’ll do these trips all summer,” Smith said. “As long as we can get pilots to volunteer, we’ll do it.”
…While Dozens More Wait Their Turn
Key Takeaways:
- Honor Flight is an initiative that organizes trips for veterans, with support from veterans' groups and local businesses providing meals and ground transportation.
- Volunteer pilots contribute by flying veterans in their own planes or paying rental fees, describing the experience as highly rewarding.
- The program faces high demand, with over 150 veterans on a waiting list, and multiple trips are planned throughout the summer to accommodate them.
- There is an urgency to schedule these trips due to the advanced age of the veterans, as "time is not on our side."
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