Wings of Mercy is a West Michigan-based nonprofit that provides free flights for patients who are unable to take commercial flights, including those with compromised immune systems or debilitating injuries.
When patients fly with Wings of Mercy, two FAA-certified pilots meet them at the airport closest to their home and transport them to the airport nearest to the hospital at which they are seeking treatment. “It is an honor to fly people to their medical destinations, and pilots get more out of it than they give,” says Wings of Mercy volunteer pilot John Workman. “We are honored and blessed to serve, and it’s what God calls us to do.”
Pilots are volunteers, some donating their planes in addition to their time for use during Wings of Mercy missions. Wings of Mercy is funded through charitable donations, and because of its small staff and limited overhead, the majority of what’s donated goes directly to flight costs, most of which are fuel-related.
Wings of Mercy was founded in 1991 by Michigan native Peter VandenBosch, a retired pilot. Since then, Wings of Mercy has provided more than 8,000 flights and grown from a group of loose-knit volunteers to a regional leader in public benefit flying. In addition to the West Michigan chapter, there are also chapters in eastern Michigan and Minnesota.
Pilots interested in volunteering with Wings of Mercy can get more information and apply online at wingsofmercy.org/fly-with-us. Patients interested in a flight with Wings of Mercy should visit wingsofmercy.org or call (616) 396-1077.
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