Hal Biestek-Flying To Save Sight

Hal Biesteck in cockpit of DC-10
Hal Biestek in a familiar place-the cockpit of the Orbis DC-10

No one would have faulted Hal Biestek for just kicking back and enjoying retirement after an aviation career of nearly 40 years in the military and then flying and instructing for United Airlines. He could have just indulged his passion for restoring  award-winning cars and added more trophies to the shelf. Instead, he has chosen to play a key role in bringing sight to people around the world with his volunteer work for Orbis International. Continue reading “Hal Biestek-Flying To Save Sight”

Cameron King

Cameron King with baron
Cameron King

Less than seventy two hours after the earthquake struck Haiti, Cameron King was unloading a Piper Aztec on the ramp at the airport in Port-au-Prince. In the near chaos of the first days, only a few people took notice of King who looked more like a teenager than a young woman of 23 years. But as she flew more and more missions, people began to wonder “who is this kid and what’s she doing flying here?” Continue reading “Cameron King”

Doug Vincent

Doug Vincent portrait
Doug Vincent of Angel Flight of Oklahoma

What happened to air traffic on the morning of 9/11 was unprecedented. Within hours of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and then the crash of United 93, the only aircraft left in the air over the continental United States were operated by the military, the government and official rescue units. Time lapse images of  the flow of private and commercial aircraft over the country show Continue reading “Doug Vincent”

Roger Krenzin

Roger Krenzin portrait
Roger Krenzin

Teaching…the most noble profession. Though Roger Krenzin has been a mission pilot, a soldier, and an aircraft mechanic working in remote areas  throughout the world, if you want to see his eyes light up, ask him about being a teacher. More specifically, a teacher of others who use airplanes on behalf of JAARS, a mission aviation program based in North Carolina.

If asked to provide a quick description of Krenzin, several come easily to mind: friendly, happy-go-lucky and somehow a little intense all at the same time, and above all, dedicated to sharing what he has learned over more than 30 years of  mission flying. Continue reading “Roger Krenzin”

Michele McGuire

Michele McGuire with Cooper and her Skyhawk

In just over 500 hours of flying Michele McGuire has helped save over 200 lives… the small furry kind.
She didn’t start flying to save dogs and cats on missions for organizations like Pilots N Paws, but now she can’t imagine not using her Cessna Skyhawk to move endangered animals from high-kill shelters to Continue reading “Michele McGuire”