TROPIQ

Volunteer flying

Put your wings
to work.

Explore 59 charitable aviation organizations using flight to get patients to care, animals to safety, and relief where it’s needed most.

2 questions · about a minute

Medical flights29 organizations
Disaster & emergency11 organizations
Animal rescue4 organizations
Youth & education4 organizations
Environmental2 organizations
Other humanitarian9 organizations

Missions in motion

See what volunteer aviation makes possible.

Recent stories from organizations using aircraft to move people, animals, supplies, and hope.

Stories are shared by their organizations. Opportunities and requirements may change.

Common questions

Volunteer flying, answered

Do I need my own airplane?

Not necessarily. Many organizations welcome pilots flying rented or flying-club aircraft, and several need mission-assistant pilots to fly right seat. If you have your own aircraft, more mission types will be open to you — but it is not a requirement to get involved.

What certificates and ratings do I need?

It varies by organization and mission. Patient-transport groups typically ask for a private certificate, an instrument rating, and a few hundred hours of pilot-in-command time. Animal transport, youth education flights, and some relief missions can be open to VFR private pilots. Each organization publishes its own requirements — check before you apply.

Who pays for the flights?

Volunteer pilots typically donate their time and cover the direct costs of their flights, and passengers never pay. Some organizations reimburse fuel for certain missions, and mission expenses are often tax-deductible as charitable contributions — confirm the details with the organization and your tax advisor.

I am not a pilot — can I still help?

Absolutely. These organizations run on mission coordinators, ground transportation drivers, fundraisers, and donors as much as they run on pilots. Reach out to any group in the directory and ask how you can plug in on the ground.

What is the Air Care Alliance?

The Air Care Alliance is the umbrella organization for charitable aviation in the United States. It maintains the national directory of volunteer pilot organizations that powers this page, and its member groups follow shared standards for public-benefit flying.

Public organization information consolidated by Tropiq in August 2026. Confirm current opportunities and requirements directly with each organization.