Every day, members of the general aviation community perform heroic acts that touch people’s lives and bring families closer together. As part of their “Heroes Among Us” series, People magazine featured Walt Fricke and his efforts to unite recovering soldiers with their loved ones through his nonprofit organization, Veterans Airlift Command (VAC). Fricke, a veteran Vietnam War pilot, began this endeavor in 2006 because of his experience in a Kentucky military hospital after he was injured in Vietnam. Being 500 miles away from his fiancŽe and family took a toll on him, he says, but after reuniting with his family, he began to feel much better.
According to the article, through VAC’s 1,400 volunteer pilots and aircraft owners, the organization has reunited 1,800 injured servicemen and women with their loved ones. He and his daughter, Jen, accommodate more than seven flights a week. The Alliance for Aviation Across America applauds Mr. Fricke and the many volunteers who give their time and planes to help those who have given so much to us.
You can read the entire article here or pick up the January, 25 issue of People.