An inspirational force in aviation and healthcare communities, Angel Flight West is pleased to announce that Dr. Randy Sherman will be honored (posthumously) at the 10^th Annual Endeavor Awards in Los Angeles on May 10, 2024. The award will be presented by Actor Harrison Ford and accepted by Sherman’s son Max.

“Randy understood the intersections of aviation and healthcare better than anyone,” says AFW Executive Director Josh Olson. “He helped lead AFW to grow to meet the patient need for access to care. We’re honored to carry on our friend and colleague’s legacy at this year’s Endeavor Awards.”

In addition to most recently serving as director of the Cedars-Sinai Division of Plastic Surgery and Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery, Dr. Sherman volunteered his time and talent with Smile Train and Operational Smile, providing pro bono medical services to people in need. He joined Angel Flight West as a volunteer 10 years ago and served as an amazing advocate, mentor, and champion for the organization’s cause.

“My dad and Harrison Ford shared a love which every pilot can appreciate” says Randy’s son Max. “The horizon, but more importantly, they were both incredibly aware of the duty that comes with seeing it, Their friendship was forged in using their wings to help their fellow man soar.”

Well known for his acting career, Harrison Ford is a licensed pilot of both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. In March 2004, Ford became the chair of Young Eagles, a program offered by the Experimental Aircraft Association to interest young people in aviation.  He remained in the position for five years, flying more than 280 children in his DHC-2 Beaver.

Ford is an honorary board member of the humanitarian aviation organization, Wings of Hope. In 2010, he flew his Cessna 208 Caravan to Hinche, Haiti with Dr. Sherman to command an airlift of Operation Smile medical volunteers and supplies to provide needed treatment for earthquake victims.

About the Endeavor Awards

Hosted by Angel Flight West, the annual Endeavor Awards® gala celebrates and honors volunteer pilots and provides charitable support to the organizations that coordinate their gifts of flight to serve those in need. Every year thousands of donated flights save lives, provide access to medical care, transport veterans, rescue animals, map environmental data, aid in disaster relief and contribute to the public good in communities nationwide.

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Aviation advocate and businessman Ross Perot Jr. will receive the Inspiration Award at this year’s event, recognizing his long-standing support of our nation’s first responders, veterans, and military personnel. Volunteer pilots Dennis M. Phelan of Angel Flight West and John Rochelle of PALS SkyHope will receive the Endeavor Award, recognizing their dedication to donating flights to serve people in need.

To learn more about supporting or attending the Endeavor Awards on May 10, 2024 visit www.endeavorawards.org or contact Mary Hunter at maryh@angelflightwest.org.

To donate to the Dr. Randy Sherman Access for All fund, visit https://angelflightwest.org/drshermanfund.

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Angel Flight West (AFW) recently celebrated its 100,000th mission, a remarkable milestone in its 40-year history of providing no-cost, non-emergency air travel services. AFW connects volunteer pilots with people needing medical care and other dire needs. AFW’s decades-long volunteer pilot, Rob Ross, and actor and new recruit Edward Norton were involved in the organization’s special occasion and 100K mission.

About AFW:

AFW is a nonprofit organization comprising over 1,800 volunteer pilots dedicated to providing no-cost, non-emergency air travel services for various humanitarian purposes. These missions encompass medical care access, transportation for veterans, animal rescue, and disaster relief support across 12 Western states. AFW orchestrates approximately 5,000 missions annually, averaging over a dozen daily missions. Each flight is a product of the donated time, talent, and resources from generous volunteer pilots and the coordination efforts of the small AFW staff.

The 100,000th mission holds special significance, as it symbolizes the incredible dedication and commitment of AFW volunteers, who work tirelessly to bring hope and help to people in need. Josh Olson, Executive Director at AFW, expressed the importance of this milestone: “This is a really special occasion, and we stand on the backs of lots of others that have come before us, and we’re passing that torch on here today.”

The 100K Mission with Volunteer Pilot Rob Ross and Edward Norton

The official 100,000th mission was divided into two parts. Longtime volunteer pilot Rob Ross flew the first leg in his Piper PA-46 Malibu Meridian aircraft, flying AFW’s passengers Luis and Maria from San Diego to Santa Monica. With hundreds of donated flights to date, Rob expressed how honored he was to be part of the organization knowing its “sole purpose is to help people have better, smoother lives during a time of difficulty.”

Renowned actor Edward Norton added his voice and support to AFW. Norton has been a pilot for nearly 20 years and was deeply moved by the organization’s mission: “Listening to what everyone here is saying about this organization, it makes me only regret that I didn’t know more about it sooner.” After the heartfelt press conference, Edward Norton, accompanied by co-pilot Michael Langston, took to the skies in his own plane, a 1976 Cessna U206F, fixed-wing single-engine plane, to return Luis and Maria home to San Diego, marking the completion of this remarkable mission.

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On Friday November 10, Army veteran William “Bill” Shammy will leave the VA Hospital in Palo Alto with something he hasn’t had in 10 years: a voice.

Bill lost his voice to throat cancer when doctors had to remove his larynx. Now he’s undergoing reconstructive surgery. With his wife Matilda, he’ll fly home to Espanola, New Mexico, courtesy of Angel Flight West, whose volunteer pilots provide free air transportation to people who need to access non-emergency medical care far from home.

The couple’s youngest child, Kenny, never got to hear his father’s voice. He passed away at age seven, when a ruptured appendix was misdiagnosed as the flu.

Bill had a big smile on his face when they were wheeling him into surgery, and the family is excited to see – and hear –  him  when he wakes up. 

“I can’t wait to see the looks on our grandkids’ faces,” Matilda says. “And there’s no way this could have happened without the Angel Flight West pilots.”

For media inquiries, interviews, and additional information, please contact Jessica Hayes at jessicah@angelflightwest.org.” 

Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots provide free medical transportation to help passengers reach their health care, as well as flights for other humanitarian purposes, such as veterans taking part in therapeutic programs. This year, Angel Flight West celebrates two milestones: 40 years of service and our 100,000^th mission. To learn more about Angel Flight West, visit www.angelflightwest.org.

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Date: 9/22/2023
Contact for questions: jessicah@angelflightwest.org | maryh@angelflightwest.org
(310) 398-6123 x117

Aviation advocate and businessman Ross Perot Jr. has been selected to receive the Inspiration Award at the Endeavor Awards in Los Angeles, Calif. on May 10, 2024. The annual recognition honors individuals who inspire others through their contributions to aviation or health care.

Mr. Perot completed the first helicopter flight around the world in less than 30 days in 1982 and served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. As chairman of the Air Force Memorial Foundation, he led the 14-year effort to build the U.S.  Air Force Memorial in Washington, D.C.  In 1988, Mr. Perot developed Fort Worth Alliance Airport, the country’s first industrial airport, which now anchors AllianceTexas, a 27,000-acre master-planned, mixed-use community in North Texas.

Mr. Perot currently serves on the boards of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and the Hoover Institution. He also is board member emeritus for both Vanderbilt University and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Today, Mr. Perot serves as Chairman of The Perot Group, which manages various Perot family interests that include real estate, oil and gas, and financial investments. Mr. Perot is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hillwood, a multinational real estate development company based in Dallas, Texas.  

Mr. Perot and the Perot family have a longstanding history of supporting our nation’s first responders, veterans, and military personnel. They have consistently demonstrated this commitment by offering their fleet of aircraft to facilitate critical humanitarian aid missions and to provide transportation support for the families of wounded and fallen soldiers and first responders during times of need. Most recently, Mr. Perot donated a Bell 407 GX helicopter to the City of Dallas to support law enforcement and first responder missions. 

“It’s an incredible honor to recognize Ross Perot Jr. at our 10^th Annual Endeavor Awards,” says AFW Executive Director Josh Olson. “For decades, he’s championed for and made tremendous impacts on business and aviation. His acceptance of the Inspiration Award will allow us to spotlight his remarkable achievements while exhibiting his support of our mission and charitable aviation.”

Hosted by Angel Flight West, the annual Endeavor Awards® gala also celebrates and honors volunteer pilots and provides charitable support to the organizations that coordinate their gifts of flight to serve those in need. Every year thousands of donated flights save lives, provide access to medical care, transport veterans, rescue animals, map environmental data, aid in disaster relief and contribute to the public good in communities nationwide.

Angel Flight West with the support of Air Care Alliance is seeking nominations for two recipients of the 2024 Endeavor Awards. Voting takes place between October 16 and 30 at https://endeavorawards.org/vote/.

To learn more about supporting or attending the Endeavor Awards on May 10, 2024, visit www.endeavorawards.org or contact Mary Hunter at maryh@angelflightwest.org

Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots provide free, non-emergency medical transportation to help passengers reach their health care. This year, Angel Flight West celebrates two milestones: 40 years of service and our 100,000^th mission. To learn more about Angel Flight West, visit www.angelflightwest.org.

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“We’re thrilled to recognize Stephen and Joanna as this year’s event,” says AFW Executive Director Josh Olson. “Each year, volunteer pilots across the nation go above and beyond to help their communities through the gift of flight. This event sheds light on the impact made by volunteers like Stephen and Joanna.” 

Hosted by Angel Flight West, the annual Endeavor Awards® gala celebrates and honors volunteer pilots and provides charitable support to the organizations that coordinate their gifts of flight to serve those in need. Every year thousands of donated flights save lives, provide access to medical care, transport veterans, rescue animals, map environmental data, aid in disaster relief and contribute to the public good in communities nationwide. 

Splitting their time between Carefree, Arizona and Alpine, Wyoming, the Bobko-Hillenaars have donated 579 flights to help people across the West access their far-off medical care. “Angel Flight West gives us the opportunity to combine our love of flying with our passion for helping others in need,” says Stephen. “Being nominated is an honor as someone who appreciates what we’re doing for others.” 

Volunteer Pilot Shakeel Mozaffar of Angel Flight Northeast will also receive the Endeavor Award at this year’s event. Mozaffar has flown more than 45 missions and 58,230 miles over the past 27 years, including long-distance disaster relief flights to help those in need.

To learn more about supporting or attending the Endeavor Awards on June 9, 2023, visit www.endeavorawards.org or contact Mary Hunter at maryh@angelflightwest.org 

Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots provide free medical transportation to help passengers reach their health care. This year, Angel Flight West will celebrate two milestones: 40 years of service and our 100,000^th mission. To learn more about Angel Flight West, visit www.angelflightwest.org.

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“Through our network of volunteer pilots and airline partners, Angel Flight West (AFW) arranges free flights for patients in Wyoming and 11 other Western states,” explains AFW Executive Director Josh Olson. “We’re very excited to continue our partnership with WYCF so we can be here for people like Teylor.”

Two years ago, then-19-year-old Teylor suffered second- and third-degree burns to 49% of her body following a propane explosion accident while operating a food truck at a fair in Bedford.   Airlifted to the University of Utah Medical Center, she spent months in the hospital and still needs follow-up surgeries and physical therapy.

Angel Flight West is her airline, and her family is no longer burdened by the costly and exhausting commute to and from Salt Lake City. Teylor’s mom Stephanie says, “I don’t know how we would make it to care without Angel Flight West. We are blessed to have such amazing, giving people in our lives.”

“Transportation can be a formidable barrier to health care everywhere,” says Olson. “But it’s particularly challenging in Wyoming, where nearly half the population live in rural areas. Last year, we completed 99 flights to help Wyomingites. We hope to grow that number this year.”

This is the second time WYCF and AFW have collaborated. “The Wyoming Community Foundation was so pleased to be able to grant funding to Angel Flight West,” said Micah Richardson, director of programs at the Foundation. “By providing free transportation to those who need it, Angel Flight West removes a barrier to care. This service has helped so many of our Wyoming friends and neighbors access the treatment they need by removing the burden of transportation costs.”

To learn more about Angel Flight West, visit www.angelflightwest.org or contact Jessica Hayes at jessicah@angelflightwest.org and 310-390-2958.

The Wyoming Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works with donors to support the charitable causes they care most about. In 2021, the Wyoming Community Foundation granted over $8 million to charitable causes across the state.

For information call 307-721-8300 or visit their website at www.wycf.org.

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Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots are transformingtheir planes into sleighs, bringing holiday joy to families struggling with medical or personal hardships and the financial burdens related to their healing and recovery.

Angel Flight West (AFW) provides free flights year-round for people who need to travel long distances to access medical care. And during the holidays, they deliver something extra.

Flights of Joy, AFW’s Adopt a Family program, started in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Knowing that many families battling illnesses were also experiencing financial hardships, Angel Flight West’s staff and volunteers wanted to bring more joy to the holidays for our passengers.

Over the past two years, more than 50 volunteers have brightened the holiday season for 25 families across our region. Recipients meet AFW volunteers at their local airports on Adopt a Family Day where children receive their colorfully wrapped gifts and have the chance to meet the pilots who made it all possible.

This year, more than 60 AFW pilots have signed up to help families in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

For these special missions, our pilots go above and beyond their traditional donation of time, talent, and resources, to cover the cost of all the gifts and to visit with families on the airfield.

About Angel Flight West

Transportation challenges create one of the most daunting barriers to healthcare—a barrier second only to the cost. As a volunteer-led, nonprofit organization, Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots and airline partners fly people to their medical appointments at no cost to the passenger. 

Since 1983, AFW has provided more than 95,000 flights to create runways to healthcare across the Western United States. Though we’re best known for linking passengers to valuable medical resources, we also provide transportation for other humanitarian purposes, such as individuals and families escaping domestic violence, disaster relief, therapeutic programs for veterans, children’s specialty camps, and adopting families for the holidays.

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Every day, Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots fly people to their medical appointments at no cost to the passenger. Angel Flight West has spent nearly four decades—and provided more than 95,000 flights—creating pathways to healthcare across the Western United States, arranging donated flights to people in need, and providing them safe passage to and from medical care. With a network of 1,600+ pilots throughout the 12 western states, pilots donate their aircraft, piloting skills, and all flying costs to help families in need, enabling them to receive vital treatment that might otherwise be inaccessible. As significant supporters of Angel Flight West, International Jet as an organization stands behind using its airplanes for social good and expresses the utmost support for Angel Flight West’s mission.

With 20 years of history in the commercial flight world, this Learjet 55 is reaching new heights flying 500 miles/hour to impact patients in need. Averaging $5,000/hour for 10 hours of flight time, Angel Flight West patients have been given the gift to receive the care they need thanks to the volunteer pilots, staff, and flight crew with International Jet. This charitable donation supports all expenses related to the flight missions such as fuel, flight time, airplane, and crew consisting of two FAA part 135 qualified pilots. In addition, the patients, family members, staff, and supporters of the missions have been given the opportunity to personally sign their names on the side of the airplane, making this a truly unforgettable experience for all involved.

Transportation challenges create one of the most daunting barriers to healthcare—a barrier second only to cost. Through a network of pilots and airline partners, Angel Flight West arranges no-cost air transportation for people in need, supporting more than 95,000-lifetime missions since 1983, all thanks to their volunteers. Each year, in-kind donations from Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots exceed $6 Million, helping over 5,000 passengers reach medical treatment. International Jet’s in-kind gift of aircraft, fuel, time, and pilot expertise helped multiple patients and their families reach life-saving health care.

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