Every day, patients face a difficult reality that the medical care they need is often far from home. Whether it’s cancer treatments, a second opinion, surgery, or ongoing care for a chronic condition, access to health care isn’t as simple as scheduling an appointment. For many patients, distance becomes another obstacle to overcome during an already challenging time.
At LifeLine Pilots, we believe where someone lives should never determine their ability to access the care they need. Our 2025 Impact Report tells the story of what’s possible when volunteer pilots, donors, healthcare providers, community partners, and supporters come together to remove the distance barrier. Thanks to this incredible community, LifeLine Pilots provided a record-breaking 1,231 free flights during the fiscal year and fulfilled 100% of qualified passenger requests.
Each flight helped connect patients with the medical care they needed, bringing hope, healing, and access to treatment when distance could have stood in the way.
Passengers and volunteer pilots are at the heart of LifeLine Pilots’ mission, but every flight is powered by a much larger community.
Volunteer pilots donate their aircraft, aviation expertise, fuel, and time. Donors provide the financial support that keeps our program operating. Healthcare providers connect patients with resources. Community partners help spread awareness. Supporters share our stories and help ensure that people in need know help is available. Each plays a unique role in helping patients reach the medical care they need.
A Common Flight Request Reason
Cancer-related travel continues to be one of the most common reasons patients request assistance. Unlike a single surgery or appointment, cancer treatment often involves repeated travel over weeks, months, or even years. Patients may need to return regularly for chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, follow-up scans, specialist consultations, clinical trials, or ongoing monitoring.
Those appointments are critical and can be physically exhausting. Long drives can add stress, fatigue, discomfort, and financial burden to an already difficult journey.
That’s where volunteer pilots make a difference. By providing free air transportation, patients can spend less time on the road and more time focusing on what matters most: their health, healing, and hope.
Karen’s Passenger Story
This year’s Impact Report highlights the story of Karen, a veteran, educator, community leader, and volunteer who is now facing cancer for the third time.
Like many LifeLine Pilots passengers, Karen needed ongoing access to specialized medical care far from home. What began with a single flight soon became a familiar route, with volunteer pilots helping Karen reach treatment every few weeks. Since her first flight in April 2025, Karen has logged more than 12,400 miles on 46 flights coordinated through LifeLine Pilots and supported by 22 volunteer pilots.
For Karen, those flights represented access to care and therefore, hope. For volunteer pilots, it’s a way to use their unique skills to help others. For donors and supporters, they represent the impact a community can make when it comes together to help others.
More Than Transportation
As Lindsey Kerr, our Executive Director, shares in the Impact Report, the organization’s impact is made possible by people who believe everyone deserves access to healthcare, regardless of distance.
“Every flight represents more than transportation. It represents a community coming together to ensure that distance does not stand between a patient and the care they need.”
That belief continues to drive LifeLine Pilots forward as requests for assistance grow each year.
Thank You
To our volunteer pilots, donors, healthcare partners, community organizations, supporters, and social media followers: thank you.
Whether you fly missions, make a gift, refer a patient, share our posts, or help spread awareness of our services, you are helping ensure access to high-quality healthcare for people throughout our region.
The 2025 Impact Report demonstrates what can happen when a community rallies around a simple but powerful idea: that no one should have to forgo medical care because of distance.
Read the full 2025 Impact Report to learn more about the passengers, volunteers, and community partners making this work possible.