Los Angeles-based Female Private Pilot LAPilotGirl Participates In An Angel Flight

Los Angeles-based female private pilot LAPilotGirl and owner of the eponymous online aviation-themed t shirts shop, recently participated in an Angel Flight mission, the full video for which released on her YouTube channel.

LAPilotGirl, Erika J., had always harbored dreams of someday getting inside a plane’s cockpit and taking to the skies. She kindled her love for planes, kept her aspirations alive, and when the opportunity presented itself, she took the chance and got her pilot’s license. Her journey to become a pilot is an example of the power of manifestation as she had always shown signs early on in her life, that a career as an aviator, high above the horizon, was somewhere in her destiny. Case in point, one of her recent Instagram posts is a picture of her when she was just a young girl. In the picture, she is dressed in what resembles a typical pilot’s professional garb. Erika commented on the picture by saying, “Wearing a flight suit and Princess Leia muffs, I look more like a cosmonaut than a pilot.” The fact that her childhood cosplay of aviation apparel turned into a real-life career down the road is a testament to the power of hope and how one can shape their life through sheer force of will.

For her latest adventure, the aviator, as a participant, joined fellow female pilot Eve L. for an Angel Flight mission that flew from EMT (San Gabriel Valley Airport) to RHV (Reid–Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County) followed by a tour of San Francisco Bay before flying home to Santa Monica. Erika posted a trailer for the full video on her Instagram profile. The trailer features shots of the crew working on the plane, clips of the landing and the takeoff portion of the flight, beautiful daytime shots of the San Francisco skyline, and aerial shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, sandy California beaches, and the sprawling mountainous Pacific coast. The full video contains images of the entire 600-mile trip that Erika and Eve took.

Angel Flight is the name used by several groups whose members provide free air transportation for passengers in need of medical treatment far from home and perform other missions of community service. They are non-profit organizations, the first two of which were founded in 1983 in Santa Monica, California, and Atlanta, Georgia. All the pilots who venture out on Angel Flight missions are donating their time, expertise, and in some cases, even the cost of operating the aircraft, to serve the community and to work towards the greater good. The Angel Flight organizations themselves typically only act as mediators, connecting the pilots and their resources with those that need their help. Pilots are typically required to have at least 250 to 300 flying hours to qualify for volunteering for an Angel Flight mission. Volunteers are required to be proactive in checking the mission list of the local Angel Flight organization to find missions that match their aircraft’s capabilities and fit within their schedules.

LAPilotGirl is a member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the 99s, the International Organization of Women Pilots. She's the fly-in chair of her chapter, organizing monthly fly-in events heading to various Southern California airports. She is also the webmaster for the “Palms To Pines Air Race” that the LA99s has organized to take place in August 2022. She was also recently awarded the distinction of Pilot of the Year by the Los Angeles 99s for setting an example of being a good pilot and being a major contributor to the chapter and the field of aviation.

LAPilotGirl’s online shop inventory boasts of several interesting apparel options such as pilot tees, hoodies, t-shirts, and tank tops. The shop also carries home goods such as pillows, blankets, and reusable balloons, office items such as spiral notebooks, mousepads, and hardcover journals, and gifts for recently soloed student pilots such as mugs, balloons, pillows, and water bottles. LAPilotGirl is also selling customizable products on other platforms including Zazzle, eBay, Etsy, and RedBubble.