Type of missions we fly

We help everyone… from the unborn (up to five months gestation) to the elderly. Every request is either flown or referred.

Medical

Needs of Patients that are traveling to and from medical appointments might include:
Medical Evaluation
Participation in a clinical trial
Treatment
Follow-Up Care

Compassion

Wounded veterans
Non-medical passengers traveling for compelling reasons such as:
Care giver (travel to/from patient)
Attend a function that would otherwise be impossible (medical conference for instance)

Transplant

These missions are coordinated in advance and are often flown in the middle of the night.
Passengers receiving organs
We do not fly organs
Non-urgent transplant missions fall under Medical Missions

Domestic Abuse

Relocating families from one safe haven shelter to another
Referrals must be coordinated with a Shelter Director or Case Worker

Special Camps

Waivers are signed in advance by parents/guardians. Children can fly unaccompanied, but pilots must have an additional adult on board at all times.
Camps for kids with special needs
Camps for kids with parents or siblings with special needs

Adoption/Foster Care

Agency personnel or potential parents must accompany children.
Travel for monitored visitation
Travel for placement

Homeland Security

Mercy Flight Southeast is a First Responder. Missions support natural or manmade disasters.
Flying survivors out of danger
Flying survivors to/from shelters
Flying relief personnel into disaster areas
Flying supplies into disaster areas (these can be flown by pilots with less than 250 PIC and/or those who only fly experimental aircraft)

In all cases, pilots are required to obtain signed waivers from passengers, file a mission report after each flight and report personal expenses for purposes of tax write-off.

Missions we don’t fly

We want to help, but we must be respectful of our pilot’s time and cost to fly. Therefore, the mission must be “compelling” for the pilot to want to donate their time, talent, fuel and aircraft.

Sorry, we can’t help with these:

If you can afford a commercial ticket (unless there is a medical reason for not flying commercially)
Flights to visit a sick friend or relative
Funeral flights
Hospice flights
Flights over 1,000 nautical miles or under 100 (except for over water, or the driving distance is 150 miles or more)
Flights when local treatment is available
Not enough lead-time for a new patient (we need approximately two weeks lead time)
Abuse victims without a shelter sponsor (you must go to a shelter first)
Over 500 lbs total weight
We cannot take stretcher or wheelchairs (due to our aircraft being small 4-6 seaters)
Passengers who can’t step up 18 inches on their own and sit upright
Patients whose doctor cannot provide us a medical release
Passengers who get airsick or fear of heights
Patients who needs excessive medical equipment
Patients who need medical staff onboard
Passengers who do not have a backup plan. A lot can go wrong. Weather, sick pilots, broken aircraft. We may not be able to take your flight that day. It is imperative that you have a backup plan in case something goes wrong.