Wayne Maynard and his Cessna 350 (photo by Dan Sellers).
Eight years ago, we wrote about Wayne Maynard, a Lakewood neighbor who donates his time, money and plane to fly hospital patients, abused children and veterans to their appointments with an organization called Angel Flight. This summer, he is heading back north for a great cause.
In 2009, Maynard flew to the north pole in his Cessna 350 in order to raise money for Angel Flight, a charity that arranges transportation for medical and other compelling needs to those who can’t make or afford long trips to get the care they need. When Maynard learned that his brother-in-law Jack Bolton had cancer, he found out about Angel Flight and began volunteering as a pilot for the organization, often flying Bolton from his home in West Texas to M.D. Anderson in Houston.
This summer, he is repeating his journey to the North Pole. From July 14-28, he will travel north and back, making three stops along the way. He hopes to be part of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on the way home.
The money raised on his flight to the North Pole will be used to fund the headquarters for Angel Flight. The organization takes calls and arranges flights for patients and vets. .
“It gives these patients a couple hours in an airplane, a chance to sit up front next to the controls and just be amazed by everything they see inside and outside the airplane,” Maynard says about Angel Flight. “They are not thinking about their situation.”
Neighbors can support his North Pole Journey here. There will be a departure party at the Frontiers of Flight Museum July 14 and a return party on the 28th at Dallas Executive Airport.
