Dale Shymkewich of Arlington has been named “Virginia’s Pilot of the Year” and pilot of the year for the region by Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, a non-profit organization that uses the services of volunteer pilots to provide free flights for patients who need care at distant, specialized medical facilities.
He will be honored at a banquet in Virginia Beach in April.
Shymkewich recently retired as a communications officer in the U.S. Air Force. Although he did not fly for the military, in 1991 he earned his pilot’s license in an effort to better know his way around planes and aviation. In 2008, he began volunteering for Angel Flight.
“I enjoy doing it,” he said. “I like to fly my airplane, but this is flying doing something worthwhile, instead of just flying because I can. It obviously helps people out tremendously.”
Shymkewich made it a goal to fly for Angel Flight at least every other week, but has long since surpassed that. He flew 60 missions in 2010.
“Every mission is memorable, every mission is unique,” he said.
Angel Flight serves patients with medical conditions ranging from cancer and burns to rare diseases. With more than 500 volunteer pilots, Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic averaged 125 flights per month in 2010.
