Operational Guidelines

All FLIGHTS FOR LIFE, INC., flights will be conducted in conditions that allow Visual Flight Rule (VFR) flight.

When carrying blood products, all FLIGHTS FOR LIFE, INC., flights will be conducted in accordance with the cloud clearance and visibility required for Visual Flight Rules (VFR), commensurate with the applicable airspace. Pilots can file an IFR flight plan and fly as high as needed. However, once in Class A airspace, Flights for Life requires that pilots must maintain Class E and G airspace VFR cloud clearance and visibility requirements, specified for at and above 10,000 feet MSL

Can I file an IFR Flight Plan?

Absolutely! Day or night, the flight just needs to be operated under the appropriate VFR Visibility and cloud clearance rules, commensurate with the altitude and airspace class, night or day.

On every flight, you can file IFR and fly as high as you want, but you must remain in VMC conditions. It has nothing to do with Flights for Life Insurance Requirements. It has to do with attitude. We do not want members to fly into Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC), thinking that they must do that in order to save someone's life. This applies to all Flights for Life pilots, whether they fly a Cessna 172 or a Jet / Prop Jet.

However, when faced with an Instrument Meteorological Condition (IMC) situation at your "destination" airport, you cannot accept an instrument approach.

Instead, you should:

A. Return to your home base and, as soon as possible, notify your blood lab dispatcher that you are "Cancelling" for weather. A courier will meet you at your home airport to retrieve the blood product(s).

or

B. Land at a nearby airport with VFR weather conditions and contact your Blood Lab Dispatcher. Perhaps arrangements can be made for a courier to pick up the blood product at the nearby airport. If not, proceed to your home airport and a courier will meet you there and retrieve the blood product(s).