Wings of Mercy
Free medical flights · About this organization
What you get
Help with one approved adult companion, one approved companion seat, volunteer-pilot medical flight and volunteer-pilot transportation to or from qualifying medical care.
How to start
Submit the online flight form with passenger and trip details, then arrange your doctor's clearance and return the waivers and checklists.
Good to know
- A companion is required, and you must arrange ground transportation.
- A flight must begin or end in one of the five named Midwestern states and remain east of the Rocky Mountains.
The details, as published
Wings of Mercy provides free private-aircraft travel to or from distant medical care east of the Rocky Mountains when one endpoint is in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois and the patient can safely fly without onboard medical staff or critical-care equipment.
What help you may get
Travel And Transportation
Free medical flights — travel and transportation
Wings of Mercy provides free private-aircraft travel to or from distant medical care east of the Rocky Mountains when one endpoint is in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois and the patient can safely fly without onboard medical staff or critical-care equipment.
Noncash help · Per Trip
Can cover
- One approved adult companion
- One approved companion seat
- Volunteer-pilot medical flight
- Volunteer-pilot transportation to or from qualifying medical care
Does not cover
- Ground transportation to or from airports
- In-flight medical personnel or critical-care equipment
- Travel west of the Rocky Mountains
- Travel with medications or equipment that the program does not approve
- The benefit is a free coordinated flight rather than a cash award.
- No maximum number of trips is published; each requested flight is subject to approval and availability.
Check the main eligibility rules
Diagnosis
B-ALL is in scope. Potentially applicable to a United States pediatric B-ALL patient or family when current program-specific criteria are met.
Age
The program does not publish an age limit.
- No patient-age limit is published.
Treatment status
Active Treatment
- A provider must verify the patient or diagnosis.
- A doctor must clear the patient for travel in a small aircraft without in-flight medical personnel or critical-care equipment.
- The Wings of Mercy Doctor Certification and other required flight documents must be approved before travel.
- The program describes relieving the financial burden of commercial flights but does not publish an income test or numeric financial-need rule.
Where you live and where your child is treated
Where your family lives
You must live in: Destinations east of the Rocky Mountains.
Where your child is treated
Treatment must be connected to: The flight must be to or from a location in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois.; The medical destination must be east of the Rocky Mountains..
- The flight must be to or from a location in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois.
- The medical destination must be east of the Rocky Mountains.
How to get started
Does a social worker or care team need to start it? No. A required care-team start is not published; the family can use the available route below.
Who can start: Caregiver, Healthcare Team, Parent Or Guardian, Patient
- Arrange ground transport and await pilot and aircraft confirmation.
- Arrange ground transportation at both ends and keep a backup travel plan.
- Complete waivers, doctor certification, and final checklist.
- Confirm that the medical trip is long-distance, east of the Rocky Mountains, and begins or ends in one of the five named states.
- Coordinate a flexible flight schedule with Wings of Mercy.
- Obtain the required doctor clearance and complete the Wings of Mercy waiver and checklists.
- Submit the online flight application with patient, companion, emergency-contact, and trip details.
- Submit the patient application with passenger, itinerary, companion, mobility, and weight details.
Ways to apply or ask
- Online Portal · Open form or page
Documents to prepare
- Cleared for Takeoff Checklist
- Doctor's Certification
- Final Checklist
- Luggage and cargo information as applicable
- Wings of Mercy Waiver
- The family coordinates ground transportation and remains prepared to use an alternate travel method.
- Wings of Mercy coordinates volunteer pilots and aircraft for approved trips.
Availability and timing
| Program | Active |
|---|---|
| Applications | Call To Confirm |
| Funding or space | Not Published |
| Application window | Not Applicable |
| Last checked | Aug 24, 2026 |
- Applications are tied to medical travel dates; no seasonal window is published.
- The organization requires ample notice but does not publish a numeric minimum; it asks patients to allow travel up to two days before an appointment and two or more days after discharge.
Limitations and things to confirm
- A companion is required, and the family must arrange ground transportation.
- A flight must begin or end in one of the five named Midwestern states and remain east of the Rocky Mountains.
- Doctor clearance for non-medical small-aircraft travel is required.
- Flights can be changed or cancelled because of pilots, aircraft, weather, weight, medication, equipment, or safety restrictions.
- Flights may change or cancel for weather, mechanical, pilot, aircraft, weight, or equipment constraints.
- Ground transportation, lodging, meals, parking, and medical care are not provided.
- Luggage is limited to 20 pounds per person in small soft-sided bags.
- One approved companion is required.
- The public pages do not publish an income rule, distance threshold, or numeric application lead time.
- Confirm current capacity, exact access requirements, and response time.
Official sources
Program details were last verified Aug 24, 2026. Availability can change, so check the official program before applying.
- Free medical flights · checked Aug 24, 2026
- Patients - Apply - Wings of Mercy · checked Aug 23, 2026
- What to Expect - Wings of Mercy · checked Aug 23, 2026
- Overview - Wings of Mercy · checked Aug 23, 2026