Flight Manual1

December 30, 2020

Angel Flight Soars, Inc. 2000 Airport Road Suite 227 Atlanta, Georgia 30341

Phone: 770-452-7958 or 877-4AN-ANGEL Fax: 770-452-7391 or 877-426-4391 http://www.angelflightsoars.org/

1 THE MANUAL IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT AND IS NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON THE MANUAL AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR, NOR DO THEY REPLACE, PROFESSIONAL LEGAL ADVICE.

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2000 Airport Road Suite 227 DeKalb Peachtree Airport (PDK) Atlanta, GA 30341 www.angelflightsoars.org Tel: 770.452.7958 Fax: 770.452.7391

On behalf of everyone at Angel Flight Soars, WELCOME! We are so pleased to have you as a new pilot and member of the Angel Flight Soars family. You will truly realize what a difference you are making after your first mission flight. You will meet patients like Bryan, a baby born with a misshapen head, and his mother Becky. Without Angel Flight Soars, Becky would have to drive or fly commercial airlines from Memphis to Atlanta each week for about 5 months to get Bryan to the treatment to correct his birth defect. But through the generosity of individuals like you, the burden of transportation, both financially and emotionally; were relieved for them. Bryan is a healthy, happy child now and Angel Flight Soars pilots helped make this possible. We urge you to talk with other pilots who have flown several missions. Each one has a different story, a mission that was especially moving for them. Their stories will inspire you and we believe the time you spend flying Angel Flight Soars missions will be the most rewarding of your flying career. Angel Flight Soars is here for the community, but we are also here for you. To make it easy for you to check for available missions, new information is posted on our website daily. Please review it on a regular basis. Also download the Angel Flight Soars app. From there you can check available missions, receive and upload your mission documents, send mission pictures and review past missions. As one of our volunteer pilots, you are already involved. But if you would like to do more, we would encourage you to do so. You can help with pilot recruitment, fund raising or community awareness. Building community awareness is critical to our success, so please mention Angel Flight Soars to your friends and associates. They may want to get involved just like you did. Or, they may know someone who needs our service. Either way, your promotion of Angel Flight Soars is crucial. Again, many thanks for becoming a volunteer pilot with Angel Flight Soars. You have earned your wings, now you’re working on your halo! If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call. Best regards,

Jeanine Chambers Executive Director

John Alston Chairman, Board of Directors

Introduction The policy of Angel Flight Soars is that safety shall always be the primary consideration in all Angel Flight Soars planning and in all aspects of flight coordination. No mission flown by a pilot is so urgent that we cannot take the time to perform it safely or, if needed, to reschedule it to ensure the safety of all involved. These guidelines are intended as a supplement to, not a replacement for, the normal procedures of the owner and/or operator of the aircraft or the flying practices of the pilots (operating under FAR part 91) who will be flying missions coordinated by Angel Flight Soars. Any deviations from, or alterations to, the guidelines contained herein, which may occur as the result of local considerations and/or decisions/actions, shall be at the sole discretion of and, therefore, the total responsibility of the Pilot and/or Aircraft Operator. Any change to the material contained herein must be approved, in writing, from Angel Flight Soars. The topics covered in this guide include: •

ANGEL FLIGHT SOARS OVERVIEW

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HISTORY

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PATIENT & PILOT QUALIFICATIONS

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AIRCRAFT REQUIREMENTS

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INSURANCE AND LIABILTIES

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MISSION OPERATIONS

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IMC CONSIDERATIONS

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FLIGHT MANUAL COMPLETION FORM

Click on the links above to take you to the corresponding section.

SAFETY IS ALWAYS THE PRIORITY 1

Angel Flight Soars Overview Mission statement The mission of Angel Flight Soars is to remove the obstacle of transportation for individuals needing nonemergency medical treatment in distant cities. Volunteer pilots donate their time, skill and airplane to provide FREE air transportation to anyone in need of non-emergency medical treatment or compassionate purpose. Volunteer pilots are on call to provide immediate transportation for any transplant patient and donor organs. As well, Angel Flight Soars provides disaster relief by flying supplies, medical personnel, disaster relief personnel or whatever the situation calls for to those areas affected.

Overview: Our services are available to any medical agency, health care organization or individual for whom such air transportation is prescribed, or is deemed to be medically beneficial. Patients must be ambulatory and medically stable. Angel Flight Soars will provide these services as many times as required, there is no limit to the number of times a patient can use our services. Angel Flight Soars serves those who reside in, are traveling to, or traveling through the states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. We coordinate with affiliated organizations that are also members of the Air Care Alliance to ensure travel across the United States. Angel Flight Soars is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is supported entirely by private and corporate donations. Donations received remain with Angel Flight Soars. Contributions are used to cover the costs of mission coordination, community outreach, education and pilot recruitment. Educating the public about the FREE services Angel Flight Soars provide is the most important and most challenging task. Please be an advocate by spreading the word both in your community and while on an Angel Flight Soars mission. Handouts are available for you to leave at FBOs and to give to individuals. Thank you for your support of Angel Flight Soars. You are priceless to us and the lives touched by our service.

IF AN OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY ARISES FOR ANGEL FLIGHT SOARS, PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE FOR MATERIALS. 2

History Jim Shafer, a medical industry professional and private pilot organized Angel Flight Soars in 1983. He and 15 pilot friends recognized a need in their Georgia community and the surrounding states of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, North and South Carolina. Angel Flight Soars was organized as a non-profit volunteer pilot group. Angel Flight Soars coordinated only one or two missions a week in the beginning years. An increase in missions occurred in 1990 when media attention began covering our mission. At the same time several other benefit flying organizations had formed in the United States. In November 1990, nineteen volunteer pilot organizations met and formed the national Air Care Alliance (ACA) to help ensure patient travel across the country and Angel Flight Soars became a charter member. Members meet every year to trade best practices, trade information and

continue the need of patient travel across the country.

Mission growth really took off when our mother-daughter dynamic duo took the reins in 1999, with 272 missions coordinated in 2000. The following year exploded with 685 coordinated missions. Angel Flight Soars was transformed into another direction in 2001 by including disaster relief missions with their everyday mission. As September 11, 2001 unfolded, Angel Flight Soars found ourselves as a unique resource as all other air travel was grounded. Volunteer pilots flew 70 disaster relief missions related to 9/11. Under special clearance from the FAA we flew rescue workers, American Red Cross personnel, fire fighters and counselors to New York and Washington, DC. We also continued the blood samples that normally flew commercially for testing for several states. And we continued to fly our normal mission of people in need of medical treatment in other cities. Angel Flight Soars saw another major growth spurt in 2005 when a new disaster for us came, Hurricane Katrina. Right after the skies cleared volunteer pilots took off. A total of 450 missions were related to helping the victims and communities affected by Katrina. In all, 1786 missions were flown in 2005.

Missions 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0

Early 2000 2005 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Years

We reached 2500 missions coordinated in 2009 and reaching 3235 coordinated missions in 2016. Each year we see a steady increase in demand for our services, in 2019 there were 3617 missions coordinated.

Another new disaster came upon us in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic. Angel Flight Soars has been instrumental in helping speed up the testing result process. Volunteer pilots are flying test swabs needed for testing to labs located in other cities. This eliminates excess waiting times for results which were previously being driven to the labs. We have completed hundreds of missions for many hospitals throughout the south. Along with our COVID test missions, we also partnered with Be the Match®, a global leader in bone marrow transplantation. Through our partnership with Be The Match, we worked around the clock to ensure the safe and timely transport of life-saving bone marrow. Many of these missions originated from donors in Canada. Through an expanded network of volunteer pilots, we were able to fly this bone marrow to people waiting for a new transplant.

BE A GREAT AMBASSADOR FOR ANGEL FLIGHT SOARS & AVIATION! 3

Angel Flight Soars Patient Qualifications Angel Flight Soars is not an air ambulance. Patients must be medically stable. They must be able to enter and exit a small aircraft with little to no assistance. They must be capable of traveling in an upright position for the duration of the flight. Patients are told all of this during patient intake. When a patient requires oxygen or other small portable support equipment, arrangements can be made to allow the use during the flight. This is discussed during patient intake and the pilot will be informed of such use. Determination of a patient’s capability to be transported by private aircraft is entirely the responsibility of the patient and their physician. Angel Flight Soars requires written permission from the physician prior to accepting any mission. If the patient being transported requires in-flight attention, he/she should be accompanied by a responsible adult. Angel Flight Soars pilots and co-pilots are not expected to provide any medical assistance to the patient before, during or after the flight.

Where We Fly A typical mission is approximately 600 miles round trip. Generally, missions longer than this will be linked with another pilot whose organization is a member of the Air Care Alliance.

PIC Qualifications The PIC for an Angel Flight Soars mission shall have experience equal to or better than: • 250 hours of logged flight time • 30 hours in aircraft type • Instrument rated For night flights only, 10 hours of night cross-country flying. If you are flying with a CFI, who is an Angel Flight Soars PIC, you may fly missions only while CFI is on board. At all times the PIC shall retain complete authority regarding all aspects of flight safety. Volunteer pilots of Angel Flight Soars are subject to and should be familiar with the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), as appropriate and to the operational rules and policies of the local aircraft owners/operators, as well as with the guidelines of Angel Flight Soars. Angel Flight Soars pilots operate under FAR part 91. Pilots must carry valid, current and appropriate US issued certificates and ratings including logbook endorsements for all operations to be performed, as per applicable FAA regulations.

ENJOY BEING AN ANGEL FLIGHT SOARS PILOT 4

Aircraft Requirements I.

Aircraft utilized for any Angel Flight Soars mission must be equipped and maintained in accordance with all applicable FARs, including: A.

Current annual inspection (100-hour, if applicable).

B.

Current Pilot Static and transponder check

C.

Current ELT

D.

Current VOR check.

E.

Proper weight & balance calculation prior to flight.

Insurance Angel Flight Soars assumes no liability for any actions or inactions of any person operating under its name. Angel Flight Soars missions are flown by volunteer pilots. These missions are flown, and the services of the pilots and aircraft provided, at no cost to the beneficiary; and solely as a public service intended to enhance the good and welfare of the community. Aircraft owned and/or operated by Fixed Based Operators (FBOs), Flying Clubs, Charted and Air Taxi Operators, Business and Corporate aircraft, and personal aircraft, should have adequate insurance coverage for missions to be flown under the auspices of Angel Flight Soars. Each owner should consult with the insurance carrier for his/her aircraft insurance policy to verify that the coverage is adequate, proper and sufficient for noncommercial, public service flights. Pilots are strongly urged by Angel Flight Soars to carry individual, non-owner, and renter’s insurance coverage should they fly non-owned aircraft for a mission.

AS A PILOT, ALWAYS COMPLETE THE “I’M SAFE” CHECKLIST PRIOR TO FLYING A MISSION 5

Liability Passengers and agencies that use Angel Flight Soars’ service will be required to sign a waiver of liability form prior to the flight. No flight will be made without one. All passengers must be on your manifest to board your mission. This includes any friends, pilots or family members you may bring. The Air Transport Waiver of Liability form shall be signed by each prospective passenger prior to boarding the aircraft. Parents or legal guardians must sign for passengers under 18. Sometimes this process can be completed with the passengers prior to the day of travel. Please have the FBO fax the Waiver of Liability to the Angel Flight Soars office, 770-452-7391, or toll free fax 877-420-7391. Otherwise, you can take a picture of the signed form and email it to the Angel Flight Soars office. Under no circumstances should the only copy of the signed waiver remain on the aircraft during the mission. Or choose to download and use the Angel Flight Soars App for all your mission documents, including waivers to sign. We will also request permission to use for publication any photos we may take. Signing the photo release section at the bottom of the waiver is necessary, and no last names of passengers will be used on photos that may be published.

Angel Flight Soars Pilot Benefits    

FBO Fuel Discounts on Missions Most Landing Fees Waived Various hotel discounts Rental car discounts

Discounts for Maintenance and Annuals  Ray Meyer – Huntsville, AL MDQ 256-828-1403 You must let each business know you are with Angel Flight Soars in order to receive the discounts.

WEATHER, WEATHER, WEATHER IS ALWAYS A TOP CONCERN! NEVER COMPROMISE YOUR PERSONAL MINIMUMS! 6

Mission Operations Missions coordinated by Angel Flight Soars shall be governed by and shall adhere to all appropriate FARs and follow as much as possible the guidelines of Angel Flight Soars. The guidelines of Angel Flight Soars include the following:

Getting Started Available missions are posted on our website www.AngelFlightSoars.org or can be viewed from the Angel Flight Soars app for your phone. Please be sure to check for daily mission updates. We contact pilots via email or phone when we are in need of a last minute pilot due to cancellation or deviations. Please let our mission coordinator know if they can contact you for last minute missions. Download the Angel Flight Soars App from the Apple Store for iOS or Google Play for Android. You will be able to view available missions, upload documents, and take pictures. Once you sign the Flight Manual Completion Confirmation form, you will receive your login details for the app. We would like to send you an Angel Flight Soars Pilot ID Badge so be sure to send us a passport-style headshot against a clear background at your earliest convenience. A selfie from your phone will suffice. Prior to your mission: •

• •

If signing up for missions via the website, we will email you a Flight Manifest, the Passenger Air Transport Waiver of Liability form and a Pilot Post Mission Report (PMR). Please take a picture of the waiver with your phone and text or email it to the Angel Flight Soars office or ask the FBO you are departing from to fax it. This needs to be done before the flight. If using the Angel Flight Soars App, the Passenger Air Waiver of Liability form can be signed digitally, and you can view the Flight Manifest. Again, please submit the waiver prior to departing. Anyone accompanying you on the flight must sign the Passenger Air Transport Liability Waiver, even if a friend is flying on the positioning leg before meeting the patient, they also need to sign the waiver prior to departure of their first leg.

Mission Planning The following guidelines apply to all missions: It is your responsibility to communicate with the patient as soon as you confirm receipt of your mission documents. Confirm meeting place and time (time zone). When speaking with the patient, confirm weight restrictions for baggage. The mission coordinator will have explained our restrictions (1 or 2 maximum bags, soft sided and 24” maximum). Ask if they have any strollers, baby seat or anything extra you need to know about prior to meeting. Do not be afraid to tell a patient they must leave luggage behind if they exceed approved weight limits. Something that might fit in your plane may not necessarily fit in the linking pilot’s plane or the return pilot’s plane that is not on the mission manifest. Always contact the linking pilot(s) immediately after receiving your mission documents. Confirm meeting place and time. Talk in the same time zone by stating Eastern or Central. If there are 3 legs in a mission, it is necessary to contact the pilot(s) you are meeting. Discuss weather and contact again the night before, especially 7

if weather could be a factor. State what your departure times are going to be and the latest each can reach one another for a No Go decision. If any change is made to the mission details, you must inform the Angel Flight Soars mission coordinator.

Day of Mission Regardless of meteorological conditions, all missions must be flown on an instrument flight plan. This includes your solo leg. This maintains an extra margin of safety provided through continual air traffic control monitoring of the flight. We also monitor your flights to be informed of arrival times or schedule changes. Use your complete “N” registration in the flight plan. The IFR flight plan should include in the remarks section: Angel Flight Soars Mission. All Angel Flight Soars missions will be flight planned to include sufficient fuel to comply with all applicable FARs. Before each departure, the PIC of any Angel Flight Soars mission shall brief all passengers concerning use of seat belts, location of exits, emergency procedures, use of oxygen (if appropriate), smoking, and any other pertinent information regarding the flight. When on an Angel Flight Soars mission, it is required that during takeoff and landing of an airplane, each person on board shall occupy an approved seat or berth with a separate safety belt properly secured about him/her. However, any passenger who has not reached his/her second birthday may be held by an adult who is occupying a seat or berth. A person under the age of two may continue to be held in an adult’s lap or placed in a regular passenger seat for takeoff and landing. The FAA does not require but, because of the safety benefits thereof, does encourage the use of approved child/infant seats aboard aircraft. This is up to pilot’s discretion. Bags should be properly secured so as to eliminate its shifting under all anticipated ground and flight conditions. No aircraft flying on an Angel Flight Soars mission shall fly in formation with another aircraft. While flying with the patient on board, if you receive an amendment to your route which will extend your flight time, copy it, read it back and then ask for a request. State that you understand the amendment and will fly it. However, tell them that you are on an Angel Flight Soars Mission and would like to request direct if and when able. They generally comply. If the patient is sick, then tell the controller it is important that you receive direct due to an ill patient. FBO’s are chosen because of fuel discounts offered to our pilots. Always ask for the fuel discount. Show the FBO your Mission Information Sheet. If one or two links are involved, then most passengers do not get an opportunity to eat. The flights are scheduled so pilots are meeting at a coordinated time. Passengers may bring a lunch or snack with them. If you do not want passengers to eat in your airplane, you need to tell them prior to loading. This will give the passengers a chance to eat in the FBO. If you have time and choose to purchase a meal or incur other expenses for a patient, be sure to add those costs to your post mission report.

TAKE PRIDE AND JOY IN VOLUNTEERING FOR ANGEL FLIGHT SOARS. HAVE FUN TOO! 8

Be sure to wear your Angel Flight Soars shirt and pilot ID badge on your Angel Flight Soars mission so that patients can easily identify you.

Post Mission Always submit your post mission report (PMR) as soon as possible. Do not forget to add any additional expenses incurred, such as hotel, car rental, meals, etc. Please email the completed form to [email protected] or submit it via the Angel Flight Soars app. We will mail you a tax donation receipt letter before January 31st for the prior year, based on your submitted PMRs.

Deviations and Cancellations Time is of the essence when any deviations are necessary! Please call patient/linking pilot if canceling a mission due to weather related issues only. After contacting the patient, call the Angel Flight Soars office, or on weekends: (404) 314-3953, to inform the mission coordinator of the cancellation. If cancellation of mission is due to pilot illness or aircraft difficulty, DO NOT CALL THE PATIENT, only call the mission coordinator. We have pilots on call to fly last minute missions. Let us know if you would like to be on this list. Contact Angel Flight Soars if you are unable to complete the total mission, which includes your solo flight leg. (Ex: your airplane becomes disabled and you must spend the night in another city).

IMC Considerations It can be very difficult to make the Go/No Go decision when weather conditions are marginal. Should any Angel Flight Soars mission be required to operate in instrument conditions due to local circumstances, the FARs are the ultimate authority. In addition, other considerations are: 1.

Individual pilot capabilities and personal minimums.

2.

Turbulence reports which could affect both mission safety and patient comfort.

3.

No mission should be flown where conditions are reported to include thunderstorms, severe turbulence, or known ice, without appropriate equipment and in complete compliance with all Federal Aviation Regulations.

4.

In all cases, the decision on whether the mission will be flown as planned, postponed, or canceled due to weather is completely and solely at the discretion of the designated PIC that is you.

CANCELING A MISSION IS NOT A DEFEAT! 9

Summary You are the pilot in command at all times. As much as we do not like to disappoint our patients and know the need for them to get to their treatment or home after receiving treatment, NEVER compromise safety. Our patients are told to prepare alternate means of transportation in the case of cancellation due to weather conditions or any other reason that could compromise safety. Fly the minimums you have set for yourself and never deviate from them. We encourage you to take pictures with your patient. We love to share patient stories and reviews. Close ups and candid pictures are great. We never use last names for pilots or patients on social media posts. Please “LIKE” Angel Flight Soars on Facebook, and also get your friends and family to as well.

NEVER FEEL PRESSURE TO COMPLETE A MISSION. PATIENTS ARE ALWAYS TOLD TO HAVE ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION IN CASE OF CANCELLATION 10

Flight Manual Completion Form I have read and agree to abide by the Angel Flight Soars, Inc. Flight Manual. I understand that the manual is form informational purposes only and that I remain the pilot in command for flights coordinated by Angel Flight Soars. The manual is for informational purposes only and does not and is not intended to constitute legal advice. You should not rely on the manual as a substitute for, nor do they replace, professional legal advice.

_________________ Date

__________________________________ Pilot Name (Printed)

__________________________________ Pilot Signature

Angel Flight Soars, Inc. 2000 Airport Road Suite 227 PDK Airport Atlanta, GA 303041 www.angelfightsoars.org Toll Free Phone # 1.877.426.2643 Local Phone (GA) # 770.452.7958 Toll Free Fax # 1.877.420.7391 Local Fax # 770.452.7391

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