PEORIA (25News Now) – A Peoria-based nonprofit is making a difference one flight at a time.
Founded in 1981 in Champaign, LifeLine Pilots coordinates flights for passengers with medical and humanitarian needs far from home for free.
Volunteer pilots donate their time and resources to every person who boards their planes.
LifeLine Pilots Development Coordinator Ann Rude explained how the flights are not your standard flights. She calls them a distraction from the health concerns that often weigh on passengers’ minds.
“It’s very personal and private and a nice, comfortable way to travel,” said Rude. “Particularly, if you’re going for something that’s going to make you sick or uncomfortable.”
LifeLine Pilots serves passengers in 10 states across the Midwest. Pilots can fly anywhere from 100 to 1,000 miles, between the Rocky Mountains and the East Coast.
In 2023, 329 passengers flew for a total of 928 flights.
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