Give a life-saving gift: flight time

For those facing life-threatening diseases, war-related injuries, or other equally devastating hardships, the holidays can be an especially difficult time. Here's one way you can lend a hand: donate unused fractional flight hours to a charity that will use them on behalf of the needy.

Several organizations have established charitable pipelines to facilitate your generosity. Shaircraft Solutions, headed by BJT columnist James D. Butler, runs a program called ShairGive. Through it, Shaircraft works pro bono with donors and charities to help transport cancer patients to treatment centers, reunite wounded veterans with their families, and aid others in need.

Corporate Angel Network, which focuses on helping cancer patients, typically uses empty seats on existing corporate jet flights. But it also accepts fractional-hour donations, which allow the organization to arrange transportation for patients who must go where no corporate jet is scheduled to fly. So does AngelFlight, an organization of pilots and volunteers that provides transportation for any medically related need.

Veterans Airlift Command accepts fractional flight-time donations as well. Its network of volunteers offers veterans and their families air transportation for medical and other compassionate purposes.

So, if you have unused flight time on your fractional share, consider donating it to one of these organizations. It may be the most meaningful gift you make this year.