Angels in Flight

Updated: June 2, 2008

While most teens are concerned with mastering parallel parking and three-point turns, 16-year-old Belle Dirks worries about altitude and air speed. The California teen recently received her pilot's license, but instead of using it only for fun, she uses it to help others.

As a volunteer for Angel Flight, a non-profit organization that provides free air transportation for medical patients who can't afford it, Dirks serves as a co-pilot on flights that shuttle sick people to the treatment they need. Gravely ill patients living in remote areas or hours from their treatment centers get a much-needed lift from Dirks and other pilots in the organization.

Even before she got her pilot's license, Dirks found ways to help. She started out answering phones and logging data for Angel Flight. When she turns 17, Dirks hopes to command her own flights for patients, and maybe become a fighter pilot someday.

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