Michigan’s Pilot of the Year, Ken Grakauskas, is pictured above.

Q. What’s as American as apple pie?
A.  Angel Flight pilots.

Volunteerism is one of the nation’s most celebrated virtues, and the 703 Angel Flight pilots serving in nine Mid-Atlantic states are shining examples of service.

Next Saturday (April 17), we’re holding a banquet in their honor at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel. “A Gathering of Eagles” is an annual event designed to recognize the sacrifice made by these pilots, who use their own aircraft to fly patients in need to distant, specialized medical treatment.

The flights are free to the patients but costly to the pilots.

Pilots pay to rent or own the airplane. They pay for fuel, maintenance and repair, landing fees and all costs associated with the flights.

They come from all walks of life—business owners, doctors, retired military service members, farmers—and they are male and female, young and old. All are highly trained, licensed, insured, and held to stringent safety standards. They say things like, “Angel Flight changed my life.” “I got hooked.” “I want to give back to my community.”
“It’s God’s work.”

Each year, a pilot is chosen from his or her state as Pilot of the Year. One pilot earns the coveted Mid-Atlantic Pilot of the Year award.

Hearty congratulations to the top volunteer pilots for 2009. Great Americans, all.

Pennyslvania – Dan DeDona
Maryland – Don Benedict
Virginia – John Billings
West Virginia – Cleve Benedict
Washington, DC – Jeremiah Wolsk
Tennessee – Dave Pride
Kentucky – Tony Schmidt
Ohio – Charlie Poll
Delaware – Brett Lunger
Michigan – Ken Grakauskas
North Carolina – Kenny Hardin

Mid-Atlantic Pilot of the Year – Kenny Hardin

Visit www.AngelFlightMidAtlantic.org to learn more about the program or to request assistance. While you’re there, you can view a couple of video clips, including a segment with Katie Couric, that show the pilots on actual missions. Check out our Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic Facebook page, too, and become a fan of the charity with the motto, “The shortest distance between home and hope.”

 The Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic program is administered by Mercy Medical Airlift.

One Response to “A Gathering of Eagles”

  1. george Says:
    April 9th, 2010 at 9:00 pm

    What a great reason to turn a prop.