The Earth-Bound Angel: Remembering John Billings

When asked to write a memorial for John Billings, I hesitated. I'd already written two articles about him—one for AOPA Magazine in 2019, another for Mercy Medical Angels' 50th anniversary in 2022. What more could be said?

Then I remembered: John Billings was a different kind of angel. Not the type who arrives in blinding light and fanfare, but the quieter kind whose strength shows through consistent, humble action.

With that, I knew exactly how to write about him.

May 2018: The First Meeting

I first met John at an event where he sat with his friend and "flying partner" Nevin Showman. (I quickly learned never to call them "co-pilots.")

At 95, John carried the energy of someone decades younger. When I asked about his love of flying with Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, he said simply: "Every hour in the air makes up for an hour on the ground." Then, with a smile: "I get paid in hugs."

I felt like I was talking with an earth-bound angel—one who made up for his lost wings by becoming a pilot.

That evening, John received a series of honors: Pilot of the Year (shared with Nevin), a challenge coin from the Air Force Chief of Staff, and a letter from Apollo 8 astronaut Frank Borman, which I had designed into a keepsake.

Then came the surprise of a lifetime.

A historically accurate WWII "blue uniform" was unveiled—complete with every ribbon, medal, and insignia John had earned as a bomber pilot. His jaw dropped into an open-mouthed grin. He stood slowly from his chair and walked to it, gently lifting the sleeve as if checking whether it was real. With a little help, he put the jacket on.

He spoke briefly about his first airplane ride at age three, taken by his father—the spark that would carry him through a century of flight. Watching him in that moment only confirmed my theory: he was actually an angel.

May 2019: The VIP Table

The next year, John moved a little slower due to health issues, but his humor remained intact. When I sat down with him, he grinned: "This is the VIP table."

A bold claim when you're seated near the former squadron leader of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and other aviation legends. But somehow, with John, it felt true.

When the time came for me to sing the national anthem, I stepped up to the podium and looked out at the crowd. What I saw nearly brought me to tears.

John Billings—98 years old, struggling with declining mobility—still stood and removed his hat for the anthem. He wasn't going to let the limitations of his body interfere with his limitless spirit.

2021: One Last Award

I hadn't seen John in two years because of the pandemic. Then a video link arrived in my work email: John Billings receiving the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.

He was 98 now. His health had declined to the point where he could no longer safely control an airplane. But he said he would remain in the cockpit for as long as he could.

That was true to him.

March 2022: Trading Wings

The news came that John Billings had passed away. He had flown for most of his life. At long last, he traded his pilot wings for a set of angel wings.

Part of me was sad. I would deeply miss the earth-bound angel of Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic.

But another part of me was glad.

Now, up in the bright eternal sky, John Billings could fly as much as he wanted.

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