Use Your Private Pilot License for Volunteer Missions

A pilot can use their private pilot license for what they are most passionate about, whether it be professional, recreational, or charitable. Becoming a volunteer pilot to give back to your community at the local, national, and even global level offers pilots a chance to change the world—one flight at a time.

There are countless non-profit organizations that are always in need of a pilot’s skills and resources. Aviation charities offer pilots a chance to use their private pilot license to do good and donate their time and talents to causes they are passionate about.

A pilot looking to use their aeronautical talents and resources can choose from countless aviation charities from across the United States and the world. Here is a list of some of our favorite aviation charities that are doing valuable work for those in need:

Environmental Charities

Use your private pilot license and resources to help conserve our planet.

South Wings

This organization provides aerial monitoring of ecosystems that are being depleted by climate change. Volunteer pilots gather data from these areas for scientific and regulatory purposes. Leaders from different communities are flown out to these damaged areas to inspire them to lobby for their protection.

This organization needs volunteer pilots to fly to these remote areas and act as guides, educators, and entertainers for important decision makers.

Light Hawk

Light Hawk is a smaller organization founded by South Wings that focuses on conservation efforts in North America. Volunteer pilots are needed to collect data through their flights, transport wild animals, and give aerial tours to the media and community leaders.

Medical Relief Charities

Aviation health charities usually provide air transportation to sick or disabled people of low-income, as well as transportation of medical cargo in emergencies.

Emergency Volunteer Air Corps (EVAC)

EVAC is an American non-profit that was created for the purpose of organizing pilots to be of service when a natural disaster hits. In the aftermath of emergencies such as earthquakes, fires, floods, or hurricanes, local emergency facilities become strained resulting in greater injuries and loss of life. EVAC organizes their volunteer pilots and their resources to transport the sick and injured to hospitals, fly in medical supplies, and help with evacuations.

Los Medicos Voladores (LMV)-The Flying Doctors

Based in California, LMV is a non-profit organization that provides free medical clinics in poverty-stricken areas of California, Mexico, Haiti, El Salvador/Latin America, and other areas that may need assistance. LMV needs volunteer pilots to transport doctors and supplies to Mexico and other countries. Volunteer pilots are a crucial part of this organization as most of the medical teams need the speed and efficiency of air travel to provide medical assistance to those that are most in need.

Animal Charities

If animals are a pilot’s soft spot, volunteering in an animal charity will allow you to care for animals that are suffering from abuse and exploitation.

Pilots N Paws

This non-profit organization focuses on rescuing animals that have been neglected and mistreated; they offer them shelter and advocate to get them their “forever homes.”

Volunteer pilots are needed to transport animals to medical facilities, shelters, or to their new family when they are adopted.

Elephants Without Borders

The Republic of Botswana has the largest population of elephants in Africa; this non-profit organization was created to protect the elephants in this area, monitor their migration, study their behavior, and encourage their population to keep growing safely. Elephants Without Borders needs volunteer pilots to airlift sick or injured elephants to medical facilities when the need arises, they are also needed to capture aerial footage of elephants to help scientist with their research.

Volunteering your pilots’ skills and resources can take you all over the world to new and exciting places. Most importantly, flying for philanthropy gives a pilot the opportunity to use their pilot’s license for good and that can be more rewarding than any other kind of flight.

Here is a list of other aviation charities in the United States.