Headquartered in St. Cloud MN, Wings of Mercy, Minnesota Inc. (Wings) is an all volunteer medical air transportation service in which FAA certified pilots, nurses and other professionals donate their time, planes and expertise in order to transport beneficiaries who are in medical and financial need.
Wings is the first chapter of an organization of Wings of Mercy Michigan that was founded by Mr. Peter VandenBosch, a retired businessman in Holland Michigan in 1991. Mr. VandenBosch had been asked to fly a person in need to a distant medical facility for treatment. He realized that many other people had similar needs and that others had resources that could help meet that need. As a result, Mr. VandenBosch formed the Wings of Mercy Organization and established the framework for the organization’s operations.
Dr. David Van Nostrand, a surgical doctor from St. Cloud was performing Samaritan surgery as part of the Trelawny Outreach Project when he was made aware of Wings of Mercy Michigan. Intrigued by the organization, Dr. Van Nostrand was given the opportunity to fly mercy missions for one week. He then came home to St. Cloud and started the Minnesota Chapter of Wings of Mercy. Wings of Mercy, Minnesota Inc. was established and incorporated as a 501(c) 3 organization in January of 1995, flying its first flight also in January of 1995.
Wings differentiates itself from other volunteer pilot organizations in three distinct areas: first, we require 2 FAA certified pilots on each flight. Wings is the only volunteer pilot organization that mandates 2 FAA certified pilots on each flight. Pilots and beneficiaries prefer the missions this way. The second area is that a family member and/or nurse companion accompany the beneficiary. The majority of our beneficiaries are children. If a family member is not able to chaperone the beneficiary on the mission, a nurse can be present if necessary. Third, we reimburse the pilot for the aviation fuel consumed during transport. The reimbursement of aviation fuel allows us to establish an on-going relationship with our pilots. The pilots not only volunteer their time, expertise and plane but also support the organization in a number of ways; continuing to fly, attending fundraisers, monetarily, etc. Wings reimbursement averages $450 or 27% of the total cost of the flight. We are able to reach this average cost of aviation fuel based on previous missions, geographical destinations and type of planes utilized.
Wings is effective because numerous volunteers contribute time, talent and expertise to the organization. Our Flight Director, a retired corporate pilot and a meteorologist, is responsible for verifying that the beneficiary meets our medical and financial requirements, schedules all flights and maintains the flight log. He employs the Flyte Trax software which allows Wings to utilize the Air Traffic Control System. Our Nursing Director, a certified EMT and firefighter, recruits the nurses, checks licensure and insures that the volunteer nurse is one that can care for our beneficiaries while in flight. Our Safety Director, who sits on the St. Cloud Regional Airport Advisory Board, insures that the planes are maintained for safety and that the pilots credentials are current. Our Operations Manager oversees fiscal matters and our Executive Director is responsible for fundraising.
Wings Board of Directors determines our focus; zeroing in on organizational self-sufficiency and long-term stability. A Board of Directors, currently at 13 members, controls the organization with additional support provided by an attorney, an accountant, and a financial advisor. All Board Members are responsible for marketing of the organization. The Wings organization reaches out to communities and populations that are beyond the touch of effective medical care. Board members assist by attending fundraisers, soliciting contributors and word of mouth marketing, executing presentations to potential sponsors and flying mercy missions.