Qualifying for an Angel Flight

To qualify for an Angel Flight passengers must:

1. Have financial need for assistance
2. Be able to fly in a non-pressurized small aircraft
3. Be ambulatory and sit upright in a standard aircraft seat
4. Be responsible for their own medications
5. Not have a communicable disease
6. Provide Department of Transportation (DOT) approved supplemental oxygen and medical assistance (if required)
7. Provide own transportation to and from airport if ground transportation volunteers (Earth Angels) are unavailable

Be it a child requiring access to medical treatment in another area of the country or an adult requiring travel due to a family crisis, Angel Flight Central attempts to match each special need with a volunteer pilot who can help. A call to our toll free voice mail system, or an e-mail through this site will alert our Volunteer Mission Screeners of a need for free air transportation service. The screener will return the message and gather all necessary qualifying information.

Angel Flight recipients must answer several health questions in order to assess their fitness for flight in an unpressurized aircraft. If the answers to any of these questions suggest a problem may exist, written permission for the flight must be obtained from the passenger’s physician. No one will be transported if they have a readily communicable disease. All passengers must be ambulatory which means getting in and out of the airplane on their own and sitting upright during the flight lasting from one to three hours depending on the passenger’s destination. Angel Flight passengers must be considered outpatients. If the person requires supplemental oxygen, he or she must provide the oxygen, and it must be in a DOT approved container. Passengers are responsible for their own medications. If passengers require any medical assistance during the flight, they must bring someone who can assist them. Angel Flight pilots are not trained in medical emergencies, and will not be able to provide any medical assistance.

Once approved, a volunteer mission coordinator arranges each flight with the passenger and a volunteer pilot based on type of aircraft needed and geographic location of the mission.

The aircraft flown by our volunteers are generally only large enough to carry from one to five passengers, plus the pilot and very little baggage. Although the cabin is comfortable, weight and space are issues. For this reason, passengers must also provide information about their weight and weight of carry-on items. In helping people, we also make safety our highest priority. It is important to have alternative travel options if possible in the event a flight is delayed or cancelled due to technical or weather challenges.

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