Sender
03-15-04, 09:31 AM
Marine Corps pilots plan charitable flights around state
03/14/2004
Associated Press
Two Marine Corps aviators plan to fly 1,500 miles and land at 100 Virginia runways Tuesday to raise $100,000 for the charity Angel Flight East.
The pilots, Lt. Col. Lindy Kirkland and Maj. Rob Krieg, say they'll take off from Washington Dulles International Airport at about 5 a.m. and hope to finish there between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
"With the 100th anniversary of powered flight approaching, we thought about what we could do to commemorate that and highlight the good the airplane has done," Kirkland said. "Then I thought about Angel Flight East."
Angel Flight East is a non-profit organization of more than 400 volunteer pilots who provide free air transportation to people in need of critical medical care. Last year, the organization was responsible for more than 1,200 flights. Since the group's establishment in 1992, its pilots have transported more than 4,200 people — 60 percent of them children.
"Every dollar we get comes through individuals, corporate sponsorships and events like this," said Tami Bream, executive director of Angel Flight East. "But one of the greatest things Lindy and Rob are doing, aside from raising money, is telling people this service is available. One of our biggest challenges is letting people know we exist."
Kirkland and Krieg named their mission Operation Centennial Angel. They plan to fly roughly clockwise around the state and to refuel in Hanover County, Norfolk, Crewe, and Roanoke.
They'll stop at all 67 public-use airports in the state. But to get to 100 landings, they had to include military facilities and some private fields. Most legs of the flight will last about 10 minutes. The longest leg between stops is about 26 minutes.
"We're showing the movie during that leg," Krieg said jokingly.
If the two pilots are successful, they'll set a national record for the most landings in one day, according to the National Aeronautical Association.
Kirkland, 41, is a command pilot and operations officer for Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 at Quantico Marine Corps Base. The squadron provides helicopter transportation for the president. Kirkland has been flying since 1986.
Krieg, 37, is a Marine Corps EA6-B Prowler aviator who has flown combat missions over Bosnia and Iraq. He is assigned as an instructor at Quantico and teaches at the Quantico Flying Club. He originally went to flight school to become a navigator, but he got his pilot's license in 1996.
The pair will leave behind helicopters and jets for the mission and fly a Cirrus SR22 fixed-wing, four-seat aircraft. The Minnesota-based company has a sales office in Norfolk and is donating use of the $330,000 aircraft. The company also plans to provide a backup if any mechanical problems develop during the fund-raising mission.
"With any flight, the most challenging part is preflight preparation," Krieg said. "There are a million details to complete before you get in the air. Actually flying is going to be the easy part."
03/14/2004
Associated Press
Two Marine Corps aviators plan to fly 1,500 miles and land at 100 Virginia runways Tuesday to raise $100,000 for the charity Angel Flight East.
The pilots, Lt. Col. Lindy Kirkland and Maj. Rob Krieg, say they'll take off from Washington Dulles International Airport at about 5 a.m. and hope to finish there between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
"With the 100th anniversary of powered flight approaching, we thought about what we could do to commemorate that and highlight the good the airplane has done," Kirkland said. "Then I thought about Angel Flight East."
Angel Flight East is a non-profit organization of more than 400 volunteer pilots who provide free air transportation to people in need of critical medical care. Last year, the organization was responsible for more than 1,200 flights. Since the group's establishment in 1992, its pilots have transported more than 4,200 people — 60 percent of them children.
"Every dollar we get comes through individuals, corporate sponsorships and events like this," said Tami Bream, executive director of Angel Flight East. "But one of the greatest things Lindy and Rob are doing, aside from raising money, is telling people this service is available. One of our biggest challenges is letting people know we exist."
Kirkland and Krieg named their mission Operation Centennial Angel. They plan to fly roughly clockwise around the state and to refuel in Hanover County, Norfolk, Crewe, and Roanoke.
They'll stop at all 67 public-use airports in the state. But to get to 100 landings, they had to include military facilities and some private fields. Most legs of the flight will last about 10 minutes. The longest leg between stops is about 26 minutes.
"We're showing the movie during that leg," Krieg said jokingly.
If the two pilots are successful, they'll set a national record for the most landings in one day, according to the National Aeronautical Association.
Kirkland, 41, is a command pilot and operations officer for Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 at Quantico Marine Corps Base. The squadron provides helicopter transportation for the president. Kirkland has been flying since 1986.
Krieg, 37, is a Marine Corps EA6-B Prowler aviator who has flown combat missions over Bosnia and Iraq. He is assigned as an instructor at Quantico and teaches at the Quantico Flying Club. He originally went to flight school to become a navigator, but he got his pilot's license in 1996.
The pair will leave behind helicopters and jets for the mission and fly a Cirrus SR22 fixed-wing, four-seat aircraft. The Minnesota-based company has a sales office in Norfolk and is donating use of the $330,000 aircraft. The company also plans to provide a backup if any mechanical problems develop during the fund-raising mission.
"With any flight, the most challenging part is preflight preparation," Krieg said. "There are a million details to complete before you get in the air. Actually flying is going to be the easy part."