Promoting flight, aiding others

Michael Gruenhill and Brenden Alsaffar check out an Xtra 300 plane on display Saturday at the 7th Annual Aviation Exploration Day at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in Pittston Township 

PITTSTON TWP. -- The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport provided the opportunity Saturday for the Marywood Aviators aviation club to educate and inspire area residents with an airplane flight costing only $20 and benefiting Angel Flight East.

The group is a chapter of the Angel Flight America organization, which provides air flights to those whose medical needs can be met only at health care facilities located far from their homes.

Volunteer pilots from the airport’s flight school made it possible to introduce area residents to the sky, and Saturday’s fair weather made it an especially pleasant experience.

Darrin Long, who heads Marywood’s aviation club, said he is grateful the club is able to assist Angel Flight East. Long also said the event provided the opportunity to teach area residents about the specifics of aviation.

He said many area youth were present at the event and were eagerly absorbing information as they made their way through the hangar.

Kristinia Luke, 27, a graduate of Marywood and now an employee of the Angel Flight East chapter in Blue Bell, said she is humbled every day by the commitment of the volunteers pilots who transport patients.

She noted one such patient started flying with AFE at 8 weeks old and is now 3 years old and still being served.

The first words of the tiny patient when learning to talk were “clear prop,” an aviation term that means to clear the area when the plane is about to take off. Luke said this is an indication of how the pilots not only transport patients, but truly care and become a part of their lives.

Harry Morales, himself a pilot, founded the organization in 1992.

Committed to public-benefit flying, the Angel Flight East chapter of the organization flew 17 missions in its first year. Today, almost 1,000 missions are completed annually, ensuring that patients are able to get needed medical attention even if it means traveling a great distance.

The hangar was filled with residents young and old who had an appreciation for flight and for the community spirit defined by the event.

Cecelia O’Malley, 5, enthusiastically used a flight simulator to learn about flying.

“We considered going to another airport,” said O’Malley’s father, Rob, “but we chose this event because it gave us the opportunity to fly and to benefit a worthy organization at the same time.”

Marywood also sponsored a raffle and basket drawing to raise money.

In addition, the Save-A-Life organization presented information at Saturday’s event about suicide prevention and family support for those in crisis.

Long said he anticipated that at least 1,000 people would take advantage of the day to fly in one of two planes, the Piper Warrior and the Piper Archer, made available by the airport.

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