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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
The day after the earthquake struck, Gene Schmidt sat at home watching the first footage of the devastation in Haiti. Image after image of stunned and frightened Haitians walking in shock through streets littered with buildings reduced to powder and chunks of concrete left him asking: “How can I help?” Continue reading “Gene Schmidt”
Walt Fricke could not have envisioned creating Veterans Airlift Command when he was recovering from the injuries he received after his helicopter came under fire in Vietnam in 1968. A veteran of over 800 hours of combat flying, the highly-decorated pilot with severe leg injuries just wanted to be with his family and fiancee. Continue reading “Walt Fricke”