The Latest From Each Topic
From the President
From the President – Fall/Winter 2021
Dear Wings of Hope Family, Hanging on the wall in my office are a series of photos from visits I have made to our field bases around the world. Each picture tells a story about someone we have helped. Another life saved. Another life changed.
From the President – Spring/Summer 2021
Dear Wings of Hope Family, As we think back on the most used words of the past year, surely one of them will be “pause.” In so many different ways, as a community and as individuals, we were asked to “pause” our regular activities. We
Global Programs
New BERT Pilot Gives Back to His Home Country
“Being a pilot is more than a profession, it is a passion — and this may be the best way I can give back to the development of my country, Belize.” This past spring, Belize Emergency Response Team (BERT) — our partner for more than
Wings of Hope Houses Samaritan Aviation Float Plane
Two new pilots will complete flight training on plane before heading to Papua New Guinea In September, Mark Palm, CEO of Samaritan Aviation, delivered a brand-new float plane to the Wings of Hope hangar. The plane, which will be the third float plane in Samaritan
MAT Program
Gracin: From Braces and Crutches to Cleats and Championships
PHOTOS: (left) Gracin in October 2017: her first Wings of Hope flight. (right) Gracin in July 2021 after pitching six innings and leading her softball team to the league championship. Thirteen-year-old Gracin was born with one leg shorter than the other. Wings of Hope flew
MAT “Mom” Karen Andrews Off to new Adventure
Flight Operations Manager Karen Andrews has been scheduling flights and patient schedules for the MAT Program since she joined the Wings of Hope family in 2013. Karen is the liaison who coordinates medical appointments, flights, accommodations and travel between the Wings of Hope flight crew,
Soar into STEM
Taking STEM & Aviation Education to the Next Level
This past year we faced the unique challenge of delivering our hands-on Soar into STEM programming within the constraints of a virtual learning environment. The result is a more structured, in-depth curriculum that will continue to provide students a robust learning experience whether it is
Dreams Take Flight for Soar into STEM Alum
On August 31, Kirkwood High School junior, Ethan Peterson, made his first solo flight at Elite Aviation at Spirit of St. Louis Airport. Ethan’s journey to earning his wings began last April, when he was one of 20 students to participate in the pilot session
Volunteer Spotlight
Dick Horowitz Makes Final Flight as Chief Pilot for Wings of Hope
PHOTO: Dick (center) poses with Wings of Hope President and CEO Bret Heinrich (left) and wife, Patsy (right), after final flight. On Nov. 30, 2020, Dick Horowitz landed his last flight as Wings of Hope Chief Pilot. With a crowd of volunteers, staff and family
Leslie Cuppett, MAT Pilot
Being Wings of Hope’s only woman pilot seems notable — to just about everyone besides the pilot in question. After all, this isn’t the first time Leslie Cuppett has been the only woman in the room. She was the only woman in the aviation classes
Event Recap
Taste of Hope Raises $43,000 to Support Programs in Haiti, Ecuador and Zambia
On Sept. 25, Taste of Hope returned to the Wings of Hope hangar as an unprecedented success. The approximately 250 patrons enjoyed a stellar lineup of culinary choices, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, music by DJ Carlos Suarez and a special performance by Dances of India.
Spring Airplane Raffle Sells Out in Under 5 Hours!
The excitement surrounding our bi-annual airplane raffles has reached a fever pitch with the April 1 raffle selling out in just under five hours. The first 3,000 tickets sold just one hour after the ticket sales went live — setting a new record. All 5,000
Wings of Hope Supporters
Local Business Owner Donates Hangar Door Repairs
When one of our mechanics noticed a hydraulic leak on the south hangar door this past spring, our hangar crew was quick to act: A hydraulic failure could cause the door to fall. We contacted Hyspeco, a St. Louis-area company with expertise in hydraulic systems.
New Sign marks Wings of Hope Entrance
Materials, design and construction 100% donated PHOTO: Members of the Wings of Hope fun committee celebrate the new entrance sign. On June 1, we welcomed Wings of Hope staff and volunteers to fully return to our headquarters in Chesterfield, MO — after months of limiting
Board & Staff
In the Spotlight – Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association Honors Former Board Member Butch Giessman
PHOTO: Justin Giessman & Dick Horowitz. Dick Horowitz, former chief pilot for Wings of Hope and vice president of the Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association, presented the James G. Byrnes Award posthumously to A.C. “Butch” Giessman. Butch was a longtime Wings of Hope board
Anniversary Founders Series – George Haddaway
George Haddaway was an aviation historian who is in the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston, and is credited with founding the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Dallas-Love Field Airport. He used his platform as publisher of Flight
Honorary Council
Elizabeth Dole is Honorary Chair of Soaring to New Heights Campaign
Senator Elizabeth Dole, a longtime Wings of Hope Honorary Council member, has signed on as honorary chair of our Soaring to New Heights Endowment Campaign to secure the future of the Wings of Hope Medical Relief & Air Transport (MAT) program. She joins Wings of
Meet Patty and Barrington!
Wings of Hope is honored and excited to welcome Patty Wagstaff and Barrington Irving to our Honorary Council. Both are esteemed pilots whose feats in the air push the limits of aviation performance. But what makes them such great ambassadors for Wings of Hope is
Young Ambassadors
Taste of Hope Raises $43,000 to Support Programs in Haiti, Ecuador and Zambia
On Sept. 25, Taste of Hope returned to the Wings of Hope hangar as an unprecedented success. The approximately 250 patrons enjoyed a stellar lineup of culinary choices, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, music by DJ Carlos Suarez and a special performance by Dances of India.
Taste of Hope Drive-Thru Edition Exceeds Expectations
Each year since the inaugural Taste of Hope in 2017, the Young Ambassadors’ annual food fest has created more excitement, drawn bigger crowds and, most of all, generated more funds to support the global communities we serve. Like most everything in 2020, pulling off a
General
Local Business Owner Donates Hangar Door Repairs
When one of our mechanics noticed a hydraulic leak on the south hangar door this past spring, our hangar crew was quick to act: A hydraulic failure could cause the door to fall. We contacted Hyspeco, a St. Louis-area company with expertise in hydraulic systems.
In the Spotlight – Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association Honors Former Board Member Butch Giessman
PHOTO: Justin Giessman & Dick Horowitz. Dick Horowitz, former chief pilot for Wings of Hope and vice president of the Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association, presented the James G. Byrnes Award posthumously to A.C. “Butch” Giessman. Butch was a longtime Wings of Hope board