EVAC: the Emergency Volunteer Air Corpssm

The Emergency Volunteer Air Corps promotes and coordinates effective and useful additional General Aviation volunteer participation in emergency relief efforts, especially following disasters.   

  SPECIAL NOTICE FOR VOLUNTEER PILOTS -- CURRENT DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS:

Working with the Air Care Alliance, EVAC has prepared information related to emergency relief efforts, including for Hurricane Gustav, the prior Hurricane Katrina work and the prior 9/11 attacks and emergency response, as well as the 2004 Tsunami efforts.  If you wish to help in such a situation, please read the guidelines we have published on our Current Relief Info page.

About EVAC:  

     EVAC Volunteers fly to help others! During emergency situations EVAC pilots and other volunteers provide the resources of General Aviation to help affected people and communities. While such help can be organized quickly on an ad hoc basis, it is better to plan beforehand so that lines of communication are clear and available resources are already identified. In addition, operations are safer and more efficient if periodic exercises are conducted. Such events also help local emergency services agencies understand how to best utilize pilots and aircraft at their local airports, and show the entire community how General Aviation can help during emergencies.

     Note that the largest volunteer group involved in emergency aviation assistance is the Civil Air Patrol, a large national organization affiliated as an auxiliary of the United States Air Force. CAP members also provide essential search and rescue services, fly some law enforcement support missions, and conduct extensive cadet training and aviation education activities. The Civil Air Patrol has a long and proud history of service to the nation. Click on the CAP link above to learn more about how you might enjoy participation in CAP activities. You should also visit the American Red Cross site for more general information about how volunteers can help their communities.

     Conversely, EVAC is intended to operate on a more informal, grass-roots level. EVAC volunteers work at the local level with local agencies, and devise simple programs designed to involve pilots, airport businesses, and others in very basic preparations for disasters and other emergency situations. Such efforts have already proven very helpful throughout the history of aviation, as discussed in our Introductory Manual described below.  

     EVAC is a Member group of the Air Care Alliance, a national coalition of volunteer-based public benefit flying groups which lists all of such organizations flying in the United States. Members include various Angel Flight groups, Volunteer Pilots Association, LightHawk, LifeLine Pilots, Childrens Flight of Hope, Flights for Life, LIGA, and many more. Click on the ACA link above to see the complete list, including links to the groups' own home pages. The Air Care Alliance was founded following a national conference on public benefit flying, AIR MED 90, held at AOPA headquarters in Frederick, Maryland in 1990. Since then ACA has held national meetings and workshops annually and also presents seminars at many public events, including AOPA's annual exposition.

     Most of the Air Care Alliance groups fly regular medical transportation missions for needy patients, or transport organs for hospitals. Many also help in other programs, too, such as flying Make-A-Wish type missions or participating in special airlifts, such as those taking needy city children to special camps. Some like LightHawk provide vital conservation and environmental support using aircraft. EVAC provides guidance and operating manuals to the ACA groups, too, to aid them in providing additional valuable assistance during emergencies in the regions where they operate. Since EVAC first presented a seminar on this subject at ACA's Air Med 90 conference we are pleased to see that most groups have developed emergency relief programs. We encourage volunteers to investigate and register with all groups in their operating area that might provide opportunities to help others! Click on the link above to find out about groups flying medical or other missions in your area.     

EVAC is a relatively new program, most active in its originating chapters in Southern California. Through the work with the Air Care Alliance groups, the importance of such a program is spreading nationally. If you wish to learn more or register for possible volunteer participation in the future, please contact the national office as shown below, and provide your mailing address. EVAC will also list other local aviation groups  involved in emergency assistance, so if you know of such groups please tell us about them. 

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