The Frankfort Dow Memorial Field hosts the Wings of Michigan Wingman Challenge

For patients who cannot travel commercially, Wings of Mercy is a unique, nonprofit organization providing free air transportation to distant medical centers.Serious or rare illnesses are not always treatable at local or even regional medical centers. Sometimes the best or only treatment can be hundreds of miles away. A patient’s health insurance will cover treatment but rarely covers transportation to those services. Wings of Mercy connects people in need with volunteer pilots to fly them safely to their destination and has often utilized the Frankfort Dow Memorial Field airport.

All Wings of Mercy pilots are volunteers, generously lending their time and oftentimes their planes to the cause. With minimal staff and low overhead, Wings of Mercy coordinate flights to meet appointments, pay for aviation fuel and raise funds to continue operations, as they are entirely funded by charitable contributions.

Wings of Mercy was founded by a Michigan native and pilot, Peter VandenBosch. At age 68, VandenBosch had successfully retired and was enjoying a fishing trip off the coast of Florida when he heard a voice simply say, “Peter, there is more to life than this.” 

VandenBosch founded Wings of Mercy in 1991, since then, over 8,000 missions have been performed. Two additional chapters, one in Minnesota and another in East Michigan were established. Wings of Mercy can fly anywhere in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and look forward to growing their network and services for years to come.

The East and West Michigan Wings of Mercy organizations have created a flying event, the Wings of Michigan Wingman Challenge. The exciting activity begins on May 4 and continues through Sept. 2, of 2024. Airplane pilots build an itinerary from 51 Michigan airports, including the Frankfort Dow Memorial Field. The pilot who visits the most airports wins a reward as does the most visited airport. Non-pilots can participate by sponsoring pilots. For more information and how to participate, go to WingsForMichigan.org.