WINGS OF MERCY (West Michigan Chapter) provides services for people with medical and pressing human needs who reside in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
If you qualify, the West Michigan Chapter can provide medically needed flights to any destination East of the Rockies.
Mr. Peter VandenBosch, a retired businessman in Holland, Michigan, was asked to fly a person in need to a distant medical facility for treatment. Mr. VandenBosch realized that many other people had similar needs, and that he and others had resources to help meet that need.
In June 1991 Mr. VandenBosch and a group of pilots met in Holland, Michigan to organize a service named Wings of Mercy, Inc. to offer flights at no cost to financially needy persons from that area who required specialized medical treatment at distant medical centers. Immediately it became clear that the need was far greater than expected. Based upon their experience upward of 80% of their clients would not be able to go for specialized treatment of this kind if this kind of service was not available. Newspaper, radio and television coverage helped to expand this service. Soon other aircraft owners volunteered their aircraft at locations throughout Western Michigan.
Since that time additional Wings of Mercy chapters have been formed to help meet the growing need. Wings of Mercy Minnesota was established in January of 1995 to serve the people of Minnesota. In early 1996, Wings of Mercy Eastern Michigan was formed by a group of pilots in Midland, Saginaw and Bay City.
All services are performed by volunteers; aircraft owners/operators are reimbursed for fuel only (about 1/3 of the actual cost of operating an aircraft), and many refuse even that. Wings of Mercy is funded entirely by charitable contributions.