Volunteer Pilots Association

Windchill

Windchill

Well-Known Member
Anyone a member or know members and details of the organization.

I had emailed them asking a few questions but haven't heard back. It's been about a week since I sent it.

I was wondering the range and frequency of missions. Their homepage shows a picture of a light-single Cessna looking like it's transporting pax. Website also talks about carrying organs ... I imagine they look for quicker a/c for that?? Wouldn't organs being medevacd (helo for short hops and jet for longer trips)?

It seems like a rewarding organization to belong to ... and just about the only one I can with low hours and just a private cert. (Private + 200hrs for PIC VFR ... Can fly right seat (which is recommended when possible) with just a private).
 
anyone?

Beuler? Beuler?

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Don't know much about this organization, but can almost guarentee you that you won't be transporting organs in a single engine cessna, unless you are in rural america. I am a surgical tech and recover eye tissue from cadavers, so I work w/ procurement MD's all the time. They travel like rock stars. Gulfstreams are their normal air transportation, and on the ground await limos
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Hopefully one day I will be flying the jet and removing the heart
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Hey. Maybe I am a little late to chime in, but I got a kick out seeing your post look at at aviation as possibly a way to help other folks, rather than solely the PIC. Of course, VPA would still be a cool way to build hours and get out flying the rut; same aircraft to the same airports for the same reasons. Anyhow. I've been wandering around the web....as well as my own head... trying to figure if there is a way to aviate and not just be another pilot looking for the fastest way to a jet career. Interestingly, I knew a corporate pilot who spent his rebellious youth flying out of Florida with some organizaition as a spotter for Cuban refugees. And of course, there is missionary flying, if that is your cup of tea. I'm not sure if this is exactly where you were going with this....but keep us posted if should you join VPA and let us know what your flying turns into. Cheers.
 
I can't speak to VPA specifically, but there are a bunch of Mercy Flight organizations out there. I believe most want 250PIC and an instrument rating. I don't have the mercy flight link at work, but try a google search for it.
Regarding organ transportation, I'm currently a transplant coordinator, and I can just say "it depends". Yes surgeons tend to be ego driven and ignorant like much of the public, thinking that anything without turbojets is a "puddle jumper". I've seen teams fly from CVG to CAK in a Citation 10, or flying via S-76(helo) on a route that would be a 45 min. drive, to recover an organ for a recipient who drove himself in from home. Talk about wasting massive amounts of $$$, much of which we all end up paying for in insurance premiums!!
If you're talking about transporting a kidney or liver in a box a few hundred miles, the extra few minutes of block time are really not going to have much, if any, effect on organ function. A different scenario from flying a heart 1500mi, where you really do need the fa$ter aircraft. And yes, we've used singles before for shorter VFR flights, not very often, though.
 
There are many charitable flight organizations. One of the biggest is Angel Flight America. Click on the link and then click on the "Donate to Angel Flight in your region" link to get to you local region. They are nationwide. Each one has its own minimum flight time requirements. I've flown several flights for the Mid-Atlantic region and can attest to their organization and value. A very worthwhile purpose.
 
Yeah. After a quick search around google, I supsect the Cuban refugee spotter organization is called Brothers to the Rescue. There may be others. I think if your heart is in the right place this would be a hell of place to utilize your pilot skills. I mean that both literally and figuratively. I wouldn't jump in half-heartedly or be thinking of this as a resume builder. Just look at their home page. Cheers.
 
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