Mercy Flights | Neighbors helping neighbors take flight

A community service announcement from the Orcas Aviation Association

||| FROM ALLAN TONE for ORCAS AVIATION – MERCY FLIGHTS |||

Living on Orcas Island is a privilege, but our island’s beauty and isolation can also present challenges, particularly when it comes to accessing medical care on the mainland.

For island residents who need to travel for medical appointments or treatment, the ferry isn’t always a practical option. And when ambulance or emergency medical transport isn’t appropriate, getting to the mainland can become a significant obstacle.

That’s where Mercy Flights, a free community service operated by the nonprofit Orcas Aviation Association (OAA), comes in.

Mercy Flights connects island residents in need of non-emergency medical transportation with local volunteer pilots who generously donate their time and personal aircraft to help their neighbors.

Most flights depart Orcas Island for Bellingham, Burlington/Mount Vernon, and Anacortes, with occasional trips to Seattle’s Boeing Field. These flights can make an enormous difference for residents facing difficult medical circumstances, helping turn an exhausting day of travel into a manageable trip.

There is no charge for these flights. They are simply neighbors helping neighbors, made possible by the generosity of our island’s aviation community.

To request a Mercy Flight, call or text 360-472-2914.

Keeping Mercy Flights Flying

Like many volunteer organizations, Mercy Flights faces an important challenge: our pool of active volunteer pilots is gradually shrinking as some of our longtime pilots grow older and step back from flying.

We are deeply grateful to these pilots, many of whom have given countless hours of their time and generously used their personal aircraft to serve our community.

But we also need to look toward the future.

The Orcas Aviation Association is committed to developing the next generation of local aviators. Each year, OAA offers three flight-training scholarships to aspiring adult pilots who have dreamed of learning to fly.

These scholarships help make aviation more accessible, encourage new pilots to become part of our island’s flying community, and help build a future pool of volunteers who may one day carry on the Mercy Flights tradition.

Your Dream of Flying Could Start This Year

Applications for this year’s flight-training scholarships are due October 31, with interviews and scholarship awards taking place in early November.

Ground school begins in January, with actual flight training starting as soon as the weather cooperates, typically in May or June.

The application process is quick and straightforward. Applications are available online at airhawks.org or can be picked up at the Port of Orcas terminal.

If you—or someone you know—has always dreamed of flying, this is the year to take that first step.

For scholarship questions, contact Allan Tone at allan@orcasaviationassn.org or call 360-472-2914.

A Community That Takes Care of Its Own

Mercy Flights is a wonderful example of what makes Orcas Island special. It is a program built around the simple idea that when a neighbor needs help, our community finds a way.

Our goal is to ensure that island residents who qualify for our service have access to needed medical care when conventional transportation isn’t a practical option.

To our volunteer pilots, past and present, thank you. Your generosity makes a real difference in the lives of your neighbors.

And to the next generation of Orcas Island pilots: we hope you’ll join us in keeping this remarkable community tradition flying.