MADDOCK – When the wide hanger door opens, the sunlight transforms four murky silhouettes into brightly painted airplanes. John Rice, Maddock, a pilot, makes a quick inspection of one of his favorite aircraft. Rice is an active member of Pilots for Christ.
“What we do is, we fly people around that need a checkup or a procedure and they just need a little help getting to a hospital or clinic,” said Rice.
Rice has been active in the organization for nearly 10 years, using his aircraft to make a number of Pilots for Christ flights. There are about two dozen planes included in the Pilots for Christ fleet in North Dakota. All the pilots volunteer their time for the cause.
“We’ve got a lot of members all over the state, which is pretty amazing,” remarked Rice. “It works pretty well.”
Pilots for Christ is present in 17 states. The remarkable network makes it possible for volunteers to share their resources which, in turn, works for the betterment of those in need.
“It’s an all-volunteer organization. Everything we do is free.” John Rice, Maddock, pilot
“If it’s a 600- or 700-mile flight, sometimes we’ll meet halfway and another guy will fly the person,” said Rice. “It’s an all-volunteer organization. Everything we do is free.”
Pilots for Christ aircraft are not specially equipped to handle all types of patients. Patients need to have the ability to sit upright during the flight.
One of the most memorable flights for Rice, involved a New Rockford man who was partially paralyzed and therefore unable to make a trip to see his granddaughter who was hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. It took some special planning but, said Rice, Pilots for Christ found a way to meet the man’s “bucket list” request.
“We had to get ambulance service to bring him to Devils Lake, and then an ambulance service from the airport to Mayo Clinic,” explained Rice. “In all it took about 30 people. It was just amazing. We did it in a day. It all worked out. There isn’t a better feeling.”
Rice encourages pilots who would like to fly for Pilots for Christ to contact the statewide organization at pilotsforchrist-nd.com. That's also a good source for those in need of Pilots for Christ to make an initial inquiry.
“We fly missionaries, pastors, veterans, even people that just need to be cheered up,” added Rice. “It’s a very good organization.”
