An eight year old boy was stranded in Cincinnati after a hospital visit and requested my assistance. There was a CAVU forecast Saturday from Asheville to Cincinnati and back to Atlanta then Asheville. I departed at 1410z to the northwest from Asheville. Mt Mitchell at an elevation of 6,684 feet pierced the cloud deck.
The ballet Appalachian Spring was written by Aaron Copland in 1944. Created as the war in Europe was drawing to an end, the titular orchestral suite captured the imagination of Americans who were beginning to believe in a more prosperous future, a future in which men and women would be united again. A powerful song and an equally powerful vision. This photograph, taken on an Angel Flight, visually captures the hope offered every spring.
Returning east at 11,000 feet from Saint Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, to Asheville, North Carolina, on an Angel Flight mission. Major thunderstorm activity over Knoxville. ATC queried me, “Do you want to divert north or south? Suggest south.” Good choice.
For doctor and pilot Ruffin Benton, flying patients for Angel Flight is the most rewarding kind of trip. He took this photo on a recent flight to Baltimore with a patient on board. While she’s headed for tough cancer treatment, the picture is all about the peace of flight.