The 2026 AIR CARE Conference, hosted by Angel Flight Central and LifeLine Pilots, brought together leaders from across the public benefit flying community for a full day of meaningful connection, practical learning, and shared purpose. The day opened with updates from the Air Care Alliance, highlighting ongoing projects and progress across the national network. Attendees […]
AirCare 2026 | April 9-10 | St. Louis, MO Hosted by Angel Flight Central and LifeLinePilots ACA’s annual AIR CARE Conference provides an opportunity for those involved in public benefit flying to meet and share ideas, improving our missions of service. Join other leaders, staff, volunteers and supporters of charitable aviation as we gather in […]
April 22nd: 2:00PM ET Pilot Recruitment, Retention, & Recognition Without dedicated volunteer pilots, ACA member groups would not be able to carry out their missions. But how do we attract, retain, and engage volunteers? Presented by: Jen Hotsko, AOPA Exhibits Manager & Former VPO Pilot Manager View Recording Below: April 27th: 7:00PM ET Disaster […]
The Air Care Alliance is proud to have worked in conjunction with the AOPA’s Air Safety Institute to develop safety recommendations for volunteer pilots. ACA encourages all volunteer pilots to take the interactive online course, Public Benefit Flying: Balancing Safety and Compassion. Take Course Recommended Safety Resources Safety Recommendations for Volunteer Pilot Organizations WINGS […]
Q. Can a volunteer pilot take a tax deduction for costs of flight? A. Yes. FAA still considers it to be compensation, but has stated that it supports “truly humanitarian efforts” and will generally not treat charitable deductions related to public benefit flights as compensation or hire for the purposes of enforcing FAR 61.113 or […]
Can I accept reimbursement for flight costs? Generally no, unless your organization has an FAA exemption and you and your organization fully comply with its requirements. The articles below provide details on the rules and regulations as they apply to volunteer pilot operations: Volunteer Pilot Flight or Illegal Part 135: Where is the Line? Understanding […]
Membership in the Air Care Alliance indicates that a Volunteer Pilot Organization (VPO) or other volunteer-based public benefit flying organization supports the mission of the Alliance and shares in the concept that it benefits the work of all groups if the Members collaborate in order to improve their missions of service to the public and […]
Free Listings, Updates, and/or Member Renewals A Letter from Jeff and Rol: Dear Friends and Leaders in Public Benefit Flying, In 1990 more than one hundred representatives of twenty-five volunteer pilot groups met at AOPA headquarters to share ideas. Out of that meeting came the Air Care Alliance, and since then, working with you, we […]
ACA offers two tiers of membership, each with its own benefits: Voting Membership — Annual Dues Contribution: $500 Benefits: Receive voting rights with ACA Included in advocacy and other efforts by ACA Priority listing in ACA directory as a resource for patients and/or community needs Receive priority pilot and passenger referrals from the ACA automated […]