June 12, 2018
Founded in 2005, Hope Flight Foundation has completed 118 free flights for children in need of medical care, covering 53,770 miles for low-income families in small towns and rural areas. Flights can be arranged on short notice, and are flexible if a patient’s needs change. Families are guaranteed a flight home, and each flight is conducted by an experienced pilot and co-pilot.
“I wanted to help ill children with all the aviation knowledge and skills I have acquired over the years, and Hope Flight Foundation is the result,” said Douglas Harding, founder, president and chief pilot at Hope Flight Foundation.
The foundation uses a Cessna 182, which is on loan from a donor, but the group is in the midst of a fundraising program called “Wings of Hope” to acquire its own dedicated aircraft. The goal is to raise money to purchase a Beechcraft King Air, and prepare it for the foundation’s mission, or reconfigure a donated King Air to serve its needs.
The foundation also is working to bring joy to children via free air transportation to specialized children’s healthcare camp programs. During the summer, foundation representatives fly children and chaperones to and from these specialized camps, which can significantly increase children’s self-esteem.
“Ill children hold a special place in our heart,” the organization said on its website. “If we can help get them to a hospital, transport them to a summer camp, or go on a Make-a-Wish flight, we are helping in the healing process, easing their stress, increasing their joy, and extending and saving their lives.”