The Angel Flight Soars™ Story

 In 1983, private pilot Jim Shafer, organized a group of 15 pilot friends who got together at the  Dekalb Peachtree Airport (PDK) with an important mission in mind: Donating their time and airplanes to fly patients to life-changing medical treatments, free of charge. These caring individuals were part of the first volunteer pilot organization east of the Rockies, and they coordinated nine missions that first year. 


In 1990, to help ensure free patient travel across the country, ANGEL FLIGHT SOARSTM forged an alliance with 18 other similar organizations and created the Air Care Alliance (ACA). As a result, ANGEL FLIGHT SOARS took off and continues to soar to new heights! Last year, we coordinated a record-breaking 4,276 missions, which is nearly 11 flights each day, seven days a week, 365 days a year!

In 1991, we landed our new office at Dekalb Peachtree Airport (PDK) where we still are  headquartered today. In recent years we have branched out and opened offices in Alabama and South Carolina. Over the years we have coordinated over 60,000 mission flights for patients in need throughout the Southeast.

Since incorporating in 1984, we have increased our volunteers to over 1,500 pilots and non-pilots, who we fondly call, "Earth Angels".


Your Mission Is Our Mission


What We Do

ANGEL FLIGHTTM is a group of volunteer pilots who devote their time, energy and aircraft in helping break down the transportation barriers for those in medical need.  Our mission coordinators match pilots with qualifying patients, flying them to and from treatment facilities, hospitals, cancer centers, burn recovery therapy, and so much more. These flights are provided to our patients free of charge.  At ANGEL FLIGHT SOARS, we believe that the cost of travel should never stand in the way of people receiving medical care. 

 
Where We Serve

Angel Flight Soars, Inc., is the original volunteer pilot organization serving those who reside in, are traveling to, or through the states of:

  • Georgia

  • Alabama

  • Mississippi

  • Tennessee

  • North Carolina

  • South Carolina

As a charter member of the Air Care Alliance (ACA), we also have Angels throughout the country who partner with us when patients’ needs extend beyond this region. So, nearly anywhere you need to go to receive medical treatment, Angel Flight Soars can help get you there. 




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Our Missions Include

    Flights for patients traveling to and from medical treatments that are not available locally. These can be one-time operations or ongoing routine treatments. We help patients with any physical medical condition, provided they are ambulatory, medically stable, non-contagious, non-psychiatric and able to enter and exit a small non-pressurized aircraft with little or no assistance. 

    Flights to bring transplant recipients and living donors to hospitals for organ transplant procedures. Including all pre- and post-op appointments. These missions are accepted on a limited basis due to time constraints and distances involved. 

    On a limited basis, we provide flights for persons traveling for compassionate reasons such as, but not limited to, travel to provide caregiving for an ill family member or friend, and travel to visit a seriously or terminally ill family member. 

    Flights for active duty and former military personnel and their families, in situations where the military cannot provide that assistance. In some situations, we may be able to coordinate longer-distance travel via commercial airline. 

    Flights for children and adults going to a variety of camps and retreats, including burn survivors, children with diabetes, families impacted by HIV or AIDS, pediatric cancer patients or childhood cancer survivors and many others. 

    In the aftermath of hurricanes, floods, tornados, earthquakes and other disasters, ANGEL FLIGHTTM can dispatch large numbers of volunteer aircraft to the disaster scene to help relocate displaced residents. We can also transport small rescue-type cargo and relief supplies in addition to transporting rescue workers and search dogs.  ANGEL FLIGHT has been involved in the rescue efforts of every major hurricane and disaster in our region since 9/11, and even assisted government agencies during that crisis and the recent Covid pandemic.