Meet one of our pilots

Joe Hood: "Oh Captain! My Captain!"

Joe Hood, who has been an Angel Flight™ NE pilot since in May of 1998, lives in Greece, NY which is a suburb of Rochester, NY. Joe works as a Senior Electrical Engineer at Eastman Kodak Company. His flying career began in 1994 after three of his four children had graduated from college. Joe completed his Private Single Engine Land rating late that year and then went on to complete his instrument rating in July of 1996. He currently has over 735 pilot hours and is working on completing his Commercial and CFI ratings.

Besides flying missions, Joe is also active as an Angel Flight pilot recruiter and trainer and as a guest speaker for community organizations--like the Lions Club--who are interested in learning more about Angel Flight NE.

Last year, Joe received the Eastman Kodak Company's Document Imaging Division’s Citizenship Award for his work with Angel Flight NE. He also enjoys flying for pleasure. His flying has taken him as far West as Denver, Colorado as far North as Mackinac Island, Michigan as far East as Nantucket, Massachusetts and as far South as Leesburg, Virginia.

His other hobbies include Amateur Radio. He has been a licensed amateur operator since the age of 12 and has held Amateur Extra Class License, K2YA, since 1968.

Joe is a member and Maintenance Officer of the Artisan Flying Club, which currently has about 20 member pilots, and operates two Piper Arrows and a Piper Warrior from ROC, the Greater Rochester International Airport. About 14 Artisan Pilots are also Angel Flight NE pilots.

Last summer, Joe and 6 other Artisan members traveled to Denver, Colorado where they participated in United Airlines' Airline Training Orientation Program (ATOP) . As a result, Joe is one of few Angel Flight pilots with a logbook entry for Boeing 737 simulator time. The ATOP training, while being an extremely enjoyable experience, was also invaluable in teaching the cockpit management skills needed when flying with a copilot.

When asked why he fly’s Angel Flights, Joe will give you the standard answer that reflects the attitude of most, if not all, Angel Flight pilots: "It’s a great feeling to do something you love doing while helping someone at the same time. The combination is unbeatable."