Air Safety Institute receives public-benefit flying award

The AOPA Foundation’s Air Safety Institute has been awarded the “Champion of Public Benefit Flying” Award by the National Aeronautic Association, in partnership with the Air Care Alliance, a nationwide league of humanitarian flying organizations.

The Air Safety Institute’s online course entitled Public Benefit Flying: Balancing Safety and Compassion received the  award for increasing the safety culture of public-benefit flying by helping volunteer pilots manage risk and avoid harm.

The prestigious Public Benefit Flying Awards were created to recognize the significant contributions of volunteer-based public-benefit flying and the outstanding work of the individuals and organizations engaged in this humanitarian activity.

“We are grateful to the National Aeronautic Association and Air Care Alliance for recognition of our safety work focused on public benefit flying,” said Bruce Landsberg, president of the AOPA Foundation and the Air Safety Institute. “Our goal with the course was to address the risks and safety solutions involved in this unique general aviation activity, and we hope our work has made public benefit flying safer for both pilots and passengers.”

Public-benefit flying involves such activities as volunteer flights to transport medical patients, wounded warriors, emergency supplies, and even animals.

“The recipients of the 2013 Public Benefit Flying Awards demonstrate again the diversity of public-benefit flying in America and the many different people who benefit from it,” said NAA President and CEO Jonathan Gaffney. 

Air Care Alliance Chairman Rol Murrow noted, “We honor these recipients not only for their own contributions but also because they represent all those others who fly patients for care, respond following disasters, provide educational flights for youth, protect our environment, help our veterans, and provide support in many other ways to those in need.”