Being a pilot is a lifestyle, not a job. Most pilot’s are passionate about what they do. Chances are you’ll never have to ask a pilot what they do; they’ve probably already told you. Jet fuel is in our blood. Aviation is the building block of our DNA. We’d rather be in the air looking down than on the ground looking up. It’s why we fly.

I completed my Private Pilot’s License many years ago in hopes it would earn me a Flight Training slot while in the Air Force.  What good is it being in the Air Force if you didn’t work with planes? At the time, it was a stepping stone of progression towards my ultimate goal.  The FAA training was a key piece of experience for my Undergraduate Pilot Training application.  It worked, and I ended up flying 13 years for the USAF. 

Having a Private Pilot’s License, or PPL, is not a requirement to be an Air Force pilot. In fact, many active duty military pilots do not have one. Military aviators do not need an FAA certification to fly military aircraft. They only need to complete their respective DoD service’s flight training program.  They do, however, need an FAA certification if they want to fly a private plane or act as a pilot in the commercial or airline industry.  Luckily, the FAA recognizes the fantastic training made available to military aviators by offering military equivalency exams . These exams allow military aviators to become FAA certified pilots, and most do by the end of their military careers.

Regretfully, I did not utilize my private pilot privileges very often while I served in the Air Force.  I joined the local base aero club and maintained currency as required, but rarely flew more than 10 hrs in a private plane each year. I’d rent a plane, fly my three take off and landings every 90 days and call it good. What a waste of time!  I didn’t truly start flying privately until I left the Air Force and bought my own plane.

My passion for flying evolved once I became an aircraft owner. One great piece of advice given while looking for a plane to purchase was to “define my mission.” Deciding on why I wanted a plane and how I would use it helped me discover the best aircraft to purchase. For many private pilots, their mission is to fly the occasional scenic flight with family members. While other pilots fly away for the infamous $100 hamburger. For me though, I like flying for a purpose. I enjoy having a place to go for reasons beyond just flying (which is still fun).

One facet of my mission set, is finding a good use of my skills and aircraft to help others, while being a good steward of our industry. I started my focus looking for charities in need of travel assistance. One charity I love is the organization Angel Flight. Their focus is on helping set up transportation for patients traveling to distant medical appointments.

Another organization is the animal assistance group Pilots N Paws. This group is engaged in the services of rescuing, sheltering, adopting and transporting animals in need.  While I have not yet flown any flights in support of Angel Flight, I have flown several for Pilots N Paws. This 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is intended to be a meeting place for volunteers who foster, transport and adopt animals in need.

How it works is, after enrolling as a volunteer on www.pilotsnpaws.org, I log in to read transportation requests, or opt in to receive emailed transport requests within a pre-defined distance of my home airport. The emails provide a brief synopsis of the the type, size, weight and number of animals needing transport. They also connect the sending/receiving POC’s with their requested point of pick up and drop off.  I’ll respond to the on-line request if I can fit the animals in my plane and have the time available to fly the rescue.  There is usually a rescue coordinator who will put the sending and receiving rescuers in touch with the pilot. From there it’s up to us to finalize the timing and locations for the flights.

While there are many benefits of flying these charitable flights, compensation is not one of them. Fees or expenses cannot be charged to the rescue organizations for these flights. The costs and time of the each flight are considered charitable donations. One benefit that can be exercised, thankfully, is that pilots may claim portions of their flight expenses as a tax deduction due to an FAA review that considers these events as a deductible humanitarian flight.  

While I do enjoy flying family on the San Francisco Bay Tour, my passion for flying also includes flying animal rescue flights as often as I can. Not only do I get to enjoy myself while logging flight hours, I get to save animals while doing it. Why do you fly?

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Items I used to complete Pilot Training

1. FAR/AIM Federal Aviation Regulations https://amzn.to/42MRLMW #ad
2. Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3C https://amzn.to/48q6jD8 #ad
3. Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge FAA-H-8083-25B https://amzn.to/3wj9Fuq #ad
4. Pilots Pocket Handbook https://amzn.to/3uF5lVP #ad
5. Microsoft Flight Simulator https://amzn.to/3uD1kRI #ad