General FAQs

Generally, these are the most Frequently Asked Questions here at Mercy Flight^TM Southeast. If there are any other questions that occur to you, please let us know. You may contact us at our Leesburg, Florida, headquarters by calling 352-326-0800.

1. What is Mercy Flight?
2. Where do we fly?
3. Is there ever any charge for your flights?
4. Who is eligible to request a Mercy Flight?
5. What are your requirements?
6. Do you provide emergency “on-demand” flights?
7. What other services do you provide?
8. Wow, this is great! How can I help?

Q. WHAT IS MERCY FLIGHT™?

A. Mercy Flight is a non-profit organization consisting of pilot and non-pilot volunteers (Earth Angels). We are simply a coordinating service which matches individuals in need who must travel long distance for their health care needs, with volunteer pilots willing to donate their time and aircraft to get them there.

Q. WHERE DO WE FLY?

A. Our missions are within a 1000 nautical mile total distance from the patient’s home base airport. Longer missions, which are more than 300 nautical miles, will require a handoff with at least one to two other pilots depending on the total distance traveled. We do not fly outside the borders of the United States.

Q. IS THERE EVER ANY CHARGE FOR YOUR FLIGHTS?

A. There is never a charge – whatsoever – for an Mercy Flight mission. The entire cost of the flight is paid by the volunteer pilot who receives no reimbursement other than knowing their aviation skills and talents are making a difference.

The organizations administrative costs are funded by donations from individuals, companies, and philanthropic organizations. We receive no funding from any government entities.

Q. WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO REQUEST A MERCY FLIGHT?

A. We will accept requests from anyone that is directly involved in the need (doctors, social workers, nurses, patients or immediate family members). Since the attending doctor must sign a medical release, they will be involved in the process from the beginning.

We will always provide general information on our services to family members, co-workers and others trying to assist, but ask that the actual request be made by one of the medical profession or social worker. We generally ask for 10working days notice prior to the date of the flight in order to process and fill a request.

Q. WHAT ARE YOUR REQUIREMENTS?

A. Mercy Flight Southeast is not an air ambulance or on-demand service. Patients must be medically stable, ambulatory and capable of sitting upright and wearing a seat belt for the duration of the flight. There must be either a demonstrated financial need or reason why public transportation cannot be utilized.

Patients must be able to be transported in an unpressurized aircraft. The treatment they are seeking must be conventional or authorized investigation protocols that are not available locally, or we will transport the patient when local treatment is not working. A doctors medical release will always be required prior to flight

Q. DO YOU PROVIDE EMERGENCY “ON-DEMAND” FLIGHTS?

A. No, not ordinarily. The patients we assist are traveling for scheduled treatments and surgeries. We generally require at least 10 working days advanced notice to arrange a mission. We do arrange for emergency flights for transplant recipients, but all arrangements must be made by the Transplant Coordinator in advance.

Q. WHAT OTHER SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE?

A. While most missions are for scheduled treatments and surgeries, we also provide flights for organ recipients as well as organ and bone marrow donors. We have worked with last-wish type organizations (i.e., Make-A-Wish, Give Kids the World) to meet their requests.

Mercy Flight Southeast stands ready to provide disaster relief assistance to communities in the southeast in the event of a disaster. Our “Safe Haven” program works with the state accredited spouse abuse shelters in the relocation of battered spouses and children.

We also try to assist in situations of other compelling human need, although compassion requests are handled in a different manner.

Q. WOW, THIS SOUNDS GREAT! HOW CAN I HELP?

A. If you don’t have the time to give but would like to make a contribution, visit our Sponsors page. Mercy Flight takes no government funding. It relies on community support. For every dollar of direct public support, we return over 5 dollars of service back to the community.

If you are interested in forming a local Mercy Flight chapter or would like to receive more information about Mercy Flight, please call our headquarters at Leesburg Airport at 352-326-0800.