WICHITA, Kansas, August 27, 2008 -- Sue Roth says she never really had an interest in flying. But when her life took a devastating turn, she chose becoming a pilot as a way to deal with her grief.

Several years ago, her husband Brian, just in his 40's, was stricken with cancer. As he neared death, they flew to see a Yale specialist for one last opinion.     

"That gave us a real peace of mind to know that when he passed away, we did do everything," Sue said.
 
Their trip was made possible by Angel Flight, a Kansas City based organization that relies on volunteer pilots to fly people with rare illnesses, free of charge, to see doctors and family, or to attend special events.

Brian died a short time after his trip to Yale. Despite her devastation, Sue was so touched by Angel Flight she decided to get involved as a pilot. It wouldn't be easy though.

"A few times I would be out on the runway getting ready to get set up and I just said, 'I can't go today, it doesn't feel right,'" said Sue. "Just feeling really emotional, and we'd start again the next day."

But she pressed on and to date, Sue has flown 27 Angel Flights. Among her passengers, 16-year-old Zeke Luma of Emporia, who she helped attend a camp for kids with heart conditions.

"I can tell with alot of the passengers when we get to talking that just having somebody that knows what they're going through, we make a real connection," Sue said.

Sue also says flying makes her feel closer to God, and she is so thankful that she can serve him by serving others in need.

To date, Angel Flight pilots have flown well over 10,000 trips.

If you'd like to become involved, call 1-877-621-7177 or click on News Links to visit their Web site.