walrus

Some peopl here have never been exposed to the practical logistics of accessing treatment in a big city from a rural location. Angel Flight is a golden much valued service on a par with the CFA. if you live more than 3-4 hours drive from a city, without Angel Flight, your doctors appointment schedule almost always dooms you to two days lost time for you and your driver as well as a nights accommodation plus meals. I speak as the dutiful driver for my wife who has been through 2 years of breast cancer treatment. We live 3 hours from the city. We made at least 30 trips per year by car, hired an apartment at times and spent upwards of $20,000 per year in the logistics of getting my wife to and from hospital. Then there was the 90 plus days of my lost time in chauffeuring my patient. Angel Flight is like gold. I fail to see how it is possible to arrange a course of treatment if you live 3+ hours from a capital without totally dislocating your existence. Think scans(ultrasound, x-ray, mri), blood tests, biopsies, consultations, surgery and it’s follow up, chemo, oncology, radiation, dietitians and reconstructive surgery - all involving. busy specialists with punishing appointment schedules that simply cannot be rearranged to suit country train and bus schedules let alone RPY air transport. Angel Flight makes this process partially bearable. Without it country folk might as well give up and die.

I wrote and posted this elsewhere. A private flight is a private flight, period.

The Board has basically two functions: to safeguard the assets of the members and to hire and fire the CEO.The CEO runs the business and the Board either approves or disproves his strategic plan. If the board disapproves of the strategic plan then the CEO either resigns or is fired. In my opinion, if what is alleged to have occurred has occurred, The Board should direct the CEO to assign the trademark to AOPA. I am not happy about the state of cooperation between associations and I fear that RAA has embarked on a growth strategy at the expense of everyone else.

Ian McRitchie went on to an illustrious career as a metallurgist and private pilot.