Connecting Airports, Pilots, and Nonprofits for Good
The Aerial Tribute Project connects airports, nonprofits, volunteer pilot organizations, and volunteer pilots to make humanitarian aviation easier, faster, and more impactful. Choose your path to learn about support and engagement opportunities.
Transforming “Backyard Airports” into Community Lifelines
The U.S. has over 5,100 public-use airports, yet most are underutilized for humanitarian missions. With just a handful of flights each year, every airport can become a hub for care, relief, and opportunity.
- Enjoy coordination tools that help you request assistance and track humanitarian flights.
- Advocate with government officials and your community using newfound insights and centralized data.
- Introduce traffic to your airport through new partnerships.
- Shine a spotlight on the impact your airport provides for the greater good.
We advocate for airports by helping the public see their value not just in operations and jobs, but in real stories of lives touched.
Reducing Travel Costs So You Can Serve More People
Many nonprofits are ready to expand their impact, but travel costs and distance hold them back. Volunteer pilots help bridge that gap by donating flight time to move people, supplies, and support.
- Free access to post missions and request aviation support.
- Matching tools that connect you with pilots who are willing and able to help.
- Significant savings on transportation that can be redirected into your core mission.
From rural communities to families facing medical challenges, aviation can shorten the distance between resources and the people who need them most.
Giving Volunteer Pilot Organizations Modern Logistics Tools
Many volunteer pilot organizations still rely on email chains, spreadsheets, and social media posts to coordinate flights. That makes it hard to scale, track outcomes, or report impact to donors and boards.
- A centralized place to coordinate missions, pilots, and receiving organizations.
- Clear metrics that help you tell your impact story to funders, communities, and partners.
- Simplified volunteer workflows so pilots spend more time flying and less time digging through messages.
Our goal is to support — not replace — existing VPOs by giving them infrastructure built specifically for humanitarian aviation. Click below to join our network and help with matching pilots to lifechanging opportunities.
Making It Easy to Turn Flight Time into Real-World Impact
Pilots are eager to help, but the path to volunteering can feel confusing or fragmented across many different organizations. We’re working to make that experience simpler and more rewarding.
- Browse mission needs in one place instead of across multiple websites or feeds.
- Set your preferences for distance, schedule, and mission type.
- Keep your documents organized while reducing email and text clutter.
Every hour you fly can change what’s possible for a family, a patient, or an entire community. We’re here to make sure those opportunities are easy to find.
You're Not Alone — We're Here to Help
Many people face urgent travel challenges — from medical appointments and family emergencies to rural access issues and financial hardship. You’re not alone. Travel gaps affect millions of people every year, and aviation support can make the impossible possible.
- Support for medical travel and essential appointments.
- Help reaching family members during emergencies.
- Connections to volunteer pilots when distance becomes a barrier.
- Referrals to nonprofit partners who can support your needs.
- Completely free — no cost to individuals or families.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, you can reach out confidentially below.