By ANN Correspondent Rob Milford

Two women walked the aisles of the NBAA convention in Orlando a couple of weeks ago. They were looking for special pilots, and for companies that have aircraft and sometimes, empty seats on those aircraft.

Debi Bedell and Marisa Adaro were on a mission. Their organization just passed the 32,500 flight milestone, moving children and parents between home and hospital, across the U.S. and even to international destinations.

Miracle Flights for Kids, a Nevada-based volunteer medical transportation group, fills a major gap in the nation's health care system, since most health insurers don't provide for out-of-state transportation. The nonprofit organization has provided more than 13 MILLION miles of free access to health care.

Miracle Flights for Kids uses a combination of donated seats, volunteer pilots and purchased commercial tickets to move children and parents to and from treatment. The NBAA was the perfect place to contact companies about donating seats on their corporate aircraft, or donating money to purchase the commercial seats.

"The need for pilots is ongoing," according to Ms. Bedell, the Public Information Officer for Miracle Flights. "We are always looking for volunteers who are willing to donate their time, their plane and their fuel," she says. "It is a perfect donation to a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization. We have hundreds of volunteers across the country, who participate in 'Project Hero.' The volunteer flights for single engine aircraft are usually under 400 miles, and the application is just a couple of pages.

"The pilots who make the flights are the strongest advocates and best spokesmen we could possibly have, next to the parents of the kids we fly. They can go on for hours about how rewarding their flights have been." Ms. Bedell also works in coordinating flights across the country, so many times, it's her perky voice on the other end of the phone when she calls looking for an aircraft and pilot.

"Our patients are always medically stable," Bedell says, " and they are capable of boarding the aircraft with little or no assistance, can sit up for the duration of the flight, and with the exception of an occasional feeding tube or oxygen, don't have any other immediate medical needs. Most of the kids have at least one parent with them, too!"

A point of light:

Miracle Flights for Kids was also named one of the Presidential "Daily Points of Light" in 2001. President George W. Bush commended the group on making a difference in the nation. (We should point out however, that the President did not offer up any spare seats on Air Force One.)

Who is the 'typical' patient flown by Miracle Flights? 41 percent are under age 5; 18 percent are between 6 and 10 years old. To date, the group has coordinated 32,529 flights.

And there are some familiar names on the group's masthead, and board of directors, including Bob Hoover, Jenna Yeager, former Astronaut Dick Gordon, and pilots known for other activities, like Bruce Jenner and Wayne Newton.

Donations can be made through the Combined Federal Campaign, CFC #2849, and the organization's website.

Can you fly? Will you help?

Contact Miracle Flights for Kids on the website, or call 800 FLY 1711. You are required to have a current license and a minimum of 200 hours, current medical -- and insurance. There are some special deals on fuel at various FBOs across the country for Miracle Flights' volunteers.

FMI: www.miracleflights.org