Serving as a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight West is one of the most rewarding commitments of Michael's life. Aviation has given him immense freedom, and using that freedom to assist families in medical distress gives his flight hours a deep, purposeful meaning. He flies patients—frequently children requiring chemotherapy, surgeries, or specialized diagnostics—completely free of charge.
As the Montana Wing Leader, his focus extends beyond his own flight logs. He works closely with hospitals, rural clinics, and general aviation pilots across the state to build a network of support. In remote mountain communities, winter weather and vast distances make commercial travel or road transit impossible for critically ill patients. Angel Flight wings are their only viable bridge to care.
Every flight is a unique ledger of courage. Watching Clara, a brave pediatric patient, draw pictures in the cockpit at 10,000 feet while flying over the Rockies is an experience no business acquisition could ever match. Michael flies because he is blessed with the aircraft and the skills to do so, and he believes those blessings belong to the public benefit.
His volunteer flying journey and the families he has served became the subject of the documentary film "Angels Do Fly West," directed by Joe McNeal. The film captures the emotional and logistical realities of public benefit aviation, and went on to win the prestigious Humanitarian Award at the Cannes World Film Festival, helping raise critical funds and awareness for the organization.
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