Wings Of Hope Delivering Lifesaving Support Since 1963

During EAA AirVenture 2022, we checked in with Mr. Steve Williams, Chief Pilot for Wings of Hope to learn more about their mission.

Wings of Hope has a rich and storied history going back to its humble beginning in 1963, thanks to the vision of Mr. Mike Stimac, a missionary with Medical Missionaries of Mary and support from like-minded individuals in the diocese and some fund-raising, they acquired the first aircraft in the fleet, a Piper Super Cub 18A. Then, as today, its mission is one of hope, “to save and change lives through the power of aviation”.

Mr. Williams stated that Wings of Hope, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, operates through its mostly volunteer staff (and 18 paid staffers), a fleet of aircraft and partnerships with entities whose support and resources are complementary to its mission. Some aircraft include the Cessna 206, Piper Seneca, and Piper Navajo. To that end, there are two main areas of operation: in the United States and outside the USA. Within the USA, Wings of Hope provides medical air transport, at no charge, to those seeking medical care not available in their community.

In the USA, Wings of Hope operates within a 900nm radius of HQ and uses two-pilot crews with medical support to provide transportation services across 26 states. Outside the USA, Wings Of Hope supports “field bases” in nearly 10 countries (including Tanzania, Mozambique, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, Papua New Guinea), utilizing local resources, to provide direct relief to underserved/remote communities. One such partner with whom you may be familiar is Samaritan Aviation which primarily operates in Papua New Guinea, and who recently attended EAA AirVenture 2022.

On a tertiary note, Wings of Hope also engages in stem/outreach to inspire the next generation of humanitarians and aerospace professionals (maintenance, air traffic control, airplane pilot, drone pilot) through a month’s long curriculum directed to high schoolers.

FMI: https://wingsofhope.ngo