Page 9 - Volume 10 Number 12

Animal Rescue
In 15 years of flying animal rescue missions, Jeff Luizza has come across only a handful of other King Air owners donating their time and airplane to transport pets to their new forever-homes or moving animals doomed for euthanasia to communities where they have a better chance of being adopted.
“The expense is pretty substantial but life’s been good to us and this is a way to give back,” said Luizza, who flies a 1981 King Air C90 that he has owned for 10 years. “I feel like I’m really doing something that’s important. In some of the rural areas, the distances are too far to drive the dogs and if it wasn’t for the pilots these dogs wouldn’t stand a chance, they would be put down.”
Luizza has flown 2,540 animals in those 15 years (he sold his business and retired nine years ago). His numbers have increased since he created a personal Facebook page three years ago and began posting about his flights. As more rescue groups and shelters have found him, he’s accumulated 240 volunteer flight hours in just the past three years, including a year when he transported 800 animals.
To justify the expense, Luizza tries to coordinate flights involving no fewer than 20 animals and focuses on cases where the animals are being moved from a
Reasons to Become a Volunteer Pilot
Combine passions: Unite your love of flight with a cause you care about.
Become an advocate: Learn about important issues.
Use your skills: Put your talent and aircraft to good use.
Stay current: You’ll have a great reason to fly regularly.
Be challenged: Accept missions to new airports.
Warm fuzzies: Doing good makes you feel good.
Sense of community: You’ll bond with other volunteers and those you help.
Tax deductible: Check with your accountant if you fly for a 501(c)(3). Flight training may also be tax deductible if students fly missions with their instructors.
DECEMBER 2016
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 7