| What is the Mission Aviators Club? |
| Who is MAMA? |
| Why does this service need my support? |
| How can I help? |
The Mission Aviators Club is a regional group of people who recognize the importance of emergency airlift services and are dedicated to providing annual financial support for the two MAMA helicopter ambulances. They are a group of people who seek peace of mind for themselves and their loved ones.
Who is MAMA?
Mountain Area Medical Airlift, better known as MAMA, has more than 20 years of safe air medical operations. Mission recently added a second helicopter, MAMA 2, to provide quicker flight time and service to the far western counties of North Carolina.
Altogether, MAMA serves the 17 western counties in North Carolina and areas of Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia, all from two bases in Asheville and Franklin. MAMA is able to cover 10,000 square miles, and averages 3-4 flights a day, 100 flights a month and has transported over 12,500 patients.
Operating Aircraft is Expensive
As any owner of a private airplane or jet knows, operating a fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft is expensive. When you add in the number of highly trained personnel who fly with both MAMA helicopters 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, plus the cost of specialized equipment and supplies, it quickly becomes evident that the operation of two air ambulances is not going to "break even." Yet as a nonprofit hospital and the region's designated trauma center, Mission has accepted this regional responsibility.
Mission Aviators Club is a way to Help You and MAMA
Many of the new communities and developments in the mountains are remote, isolated and not well-known. The MAMA team is available to visit your area, to learn where you live, identify appropriate landing sites for the helicopters within your community, then use a GPS system to locate your area in the future, becoming better prepared to respond and assist in the event of an emergency.
Investing in your family's and your personal well-being is the most important benefit of joining The Mission Aviators Club support group. Whether you are in the Western North Carolina mountains for one day, one month or all year, having the MAMA helicopters available for rapid response is vital to you. It is insurance that you cannot and should not be without.
The Mission Aviators Club will help sustain this service, protect it from cost fluctuations (such as the rising cost of aviation fuel), help equip the aircraft with the latest technology, and give Mission the resources to recruit and retain a quality flight crew.
To enroll as a member of the Mission Aviators Club, a four-year pledge of $10,000 ($2,500 a year) is recommended. Other levels are available. Contributions are 100% tax-deductible.
You will receive a membership card and other items that confirm your support of the Mission Aviators Club. Please encourage your neighbors and friends to join today.
It is always a smart decision to take care of your MAMA! If interested, call Debbie Sprouse at 828-213-1020 or email askbruce@msj.org.
