Volunteers: Volunteer Pilots

LMV volunteer pilots make our Mexico and Oasis programs possible. Although two of the locations we serve can be reached by car, most are only reachable by small aircraft. Similarly, the vast majority of our volunteer teams are able to participate only with the additional speed of travel a small plane affords.

To volunteer for LMV, licensed pilots must meet the following requirements:

  • Minimum of 500 hours of PIC time;
  • Successful checkride and oral exam with an FAA CFI prior to first trip (see below);
  • Orientation trip to Mexico with another LMV volunteer pilot for first trip;
  • Current FAA medical;
  • Current instrument rating; and
  • Maintain insurance (and provide a copy of your proof of insurance to LMV's chief pilot).

Volunteer pilots sign up for LMV trips like our other volunteers do, under the guidance of the trip coordinator for your LMV chapter. The trip coordinator will work to ensure that well in advance of the trip departure date, you have a full clinic team, the number of members corresponding to the free seats in your airplane, allowing for the weight and volume of any requisite clinic equipment and supplies.

Once on the ground at the clinic site, pilots serve in other volunteer capacities for the duration of the clinic's operation; some pilots are also healthcare professionals like dentists or physicians, while others serve as interpreters or general volunteers. Some pilots also join our Central America trips in these other roles (since those trips use commercial airlines to reach their destinations).

As with all trip participants, volunteer pilots pay a trip fee that varies according to the location of the clinic. Please visit trip signups for more information.

For useful resources and information as you prepare to fly a trip for LMV as a volunteer pilot, take a look at our member resources.

Qualified pilots, please join today. For more information, contact LMV's Chief Pilot.

Volunteer Pilot Checkout Procedure
LMV requires that prospective volunteer pilots successfully undergo the following pilot checkout procedure with an FAA Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) in order to be authorized to fly a trip for LMV as pilot in command (PIC).

The CFI must not be a member of LMV at the time of the checkout. The CFI is not required to be a CFII but should be qualified in the airplane being used in the checkout. LMV will reimburse the CFI up to $150 for his or her time.

Please send checkout results to LMV's Chief Pilot, Rob Lober, by email, by fax at 775-831-7908, or by mail at PO Box 4873, Incline Village, NV 89450.

1. Review of Pilot Documentation
Please check for the following in accordance with the referenced 14 CFR Part 61 regulations (FARs):

  • 61.5 Valid pilot's license (private pilot with instrument rating or better, appropriate class rating for airplane being flown, type rating if necessary)
  • 61.23 Current Third Class medical or better
  • 61.51 Logbook (500 hours minimum total time)
  • 61.56 Current flight review
  • 61.57 Recent flight experience (category, class, and type), night currency, instrument currency.

2. Review of Aircraft Documentation
Please check the aircraft (whether owned or rented) for the following in accordance with the referenced 14 CFR Part 91 regulations:

  • 45.29h Permanent or provisions for 12 inch high registration numbers
  • 91.7 Airworthiness
  • 91.9 Manuals, placards, and markings
  • 91.203 Airworthiness, registration
  • 91.205 Required aircraft equipment
  • 91.207 Emergency Locator Transmitter
  • 91.209 Lights

3. Flight Planning
Prospective pilots will provide a flight plan including weight and balance for the following scenario (a CH-22 WAC chart should be on hand for review):

In addition to the pilot, there will be three passengers on board with the following weights: 135 lbs, 145 lbs, 180 lbs. Each passenger is allowed 15 lbs of luggage and additionally there will be 60 lbs of dental gear, for a total of 120 lbs of baggage (includes pilot's baggage).

The flight will depart VFR from San Felipe, MX (30.55N, 114.48W, 4900' paved) and fly direct to Punta Abreojos (26.43N, 113.33W, 5050' dirt) and land. The next leg will be to Punta San Francisquito (28.24N, 112.51W, 3200' dirt) with a landing. The final leg will be back to San Felipe with a landing to clear customs. All landings must be made with VFR reserves. If the airplane can not make this flight plan without a fuel stop, pilot should plan a fuel stop at Guerrero Negro (28.01N, 114.00W, 7216' paved). The airplane must remain within gross weight limitations at all times and also have sufficient performance to get off the ground safely with a 50% margin of safety (i.e. take off within 2000 feet on a 3000 foot runway). Assume a temperature of 100 degrees F at San Felipe and 85 degrees F at all other airports. All airports are at sea level.

4. Flight Procedures
Since the pilot should be current, it is not necessary to do a complete BFR unless the pilot requests one. The pilot should also be instrument current and no IFR procedures are required unless the pilot would like to get an IPC (note: the flight instructor for this checkout is not required to be a CFII and therefore may not be able to give an IPC). Please review the following:

  • Soft field takeoffs and landings
  • Short field takeoffs and landings
  • Spot landings (within 200 feet of a designated spot)
  • Slow flight
  • Approach to landing stall and recovery (power off, landing configuration)
  • Takeoff and departure stall and recovery (power on, takeoff configuration)
  • Takeoff and landing on a dirt strip (if available)
  • Dragging a strip

Please direct any questions about this process to LMV's Chief Pilot, Rob Lober, by email or by telephone at 775-831-7908.