1.      What is Honor Flight?

• National organization (Honor Flight Network) dedicated to transporting all US military veterans to Washington, DC to see their respective war memorial at no cost to the vet

2.      What is Villages Honor Flight?

• the local hub of Honor Flight Network serving Lake, Sumter and Southern Marion Counties

3.      Who can go (vet)?

• any US veteran who served on ACTIVE DUTY at any time during any war and has not already been to Washington, DC to see his/her memorial:

• Preference will be given to WWII vets and any terminally ill vets
• Vets pay absolutely nothing for the entire trip including transportation, food, etc

4.      Who can go (guardian)?

• Guardians assist veterans during the day helping them during assembly at the local airport, while on the flight, while in the DC area, on the return flight and for homecoming at the local airport.
• Guardians can be any able-bodied man or woman who wants to make a difference.
• There is a guardian screening process (we need to make sure that the applicant can do the job) 
• Guardians are asked to make a donation of $400 for the privilege of going on the flight and helping the veterans.
• For more on Guardians, click here

5.      Can wives go?

• No.  The only spouses who are permitted to go are those who are Veterans themselves

6.      I am the widow/widower of a vet.  Can I go?

• Sadly, the answer is “no”. We simply do not have the resources, funding, or seating available to transport all the Veterans who are presently on our waiting list. Adding spouses and widows simply is not an option for our program.

7.      Can my son, daughter, grandson, etc. go as a guardian??

• Only under certain limited circumstances. Our TOP priority is the safe travel of ALL the Veterans.  Who will or will not serve as a guardian, and how many guardians will be needed, is the sole responsibility of the Hub Director. That decision is based upon many factors, such as:
  • How many disabled Veterans are scheduled to go?
  • Of the disabled Veterans going, how many will have to be physically assisted getting on and off the bus?
  • Which guardian applicants are most qualified? Medically trained, active duty military personnel and guardians who have previously participated in a flight are given top priority and serve as leadership members. Applicants physically capable of assisting in the lifting of Veterans are a top priority. Once the director feels enough of those positions have been filled, other applicants are then considered.  These decisions are made by the Hub Director.

8.      How do I get on the List?

• go to the Applications page and download the Vet or Guardian or Volunteer application.  Fill it out and mail it to Villages Honor Flight as per the instructions at the bottom of the form. 
• When we receive your application, we will review it and call you to confirm our receipt of the application.  If we have any questions, we will ask you about then during the call

9.      Will I go on the next flight?

• That depends on when your application was received.  We operate on a first come, first served basis; terminally ill vets go to the top of the list.  For vets, all the flights for 2013 are full; for guardians, there are still a few openings on the 2013 flights in Oct and Nov
• We presently have over 150 vets on the waiting list and we expect that each flight will take 25 vets to Washington.

10.      I have heard about "Valor Flight", what is that?

• Valor Flight is an organization in Alabama dedicated to flying all Korean War vets in the Tennessee Valley Area to see their memorial in Washington, DC

11.      Are there other Honor Flight chapters in Florida?

• Yes, there are several Honor Flight chapters in Florida.  You should apply to the closest chapter because that makes everything a lot easier.  Click here to see a list of Honor Flight Chapters in Florida.

12.      What is the difference between an escort and a guardian?

• There is no difference.  Both refer to the person who escorts and assists the veteran(s) during the flight.  We used "escort" initially.  We switched to "Guardian" because that is the term used by most of the Honor Flight chapters and the National organization.

13.      What is the Flags Of Our Heroes Program?

• This is a program to remember those vets who have passed away  For more information, click here.

14.      What is the difference between a Mission and a Flight?

• The actual Flight (to DC) is one element of the overall Mission which consists of all activities and events leading up to and after the Flight.  The Flight is a one day event.  The Mission starts with the first preflight meeting 6 weeks before the Flight and ends with the Reunion which could be several months after the Flight.

15.   What are these "preflight meetings?

• The prelfight meetings help everyone prepare for the actual flight.  They are very important.  Click here for more information

16.   How do I Get on the Mailing List for periodic information?

• Villages Honor Flight publishes a monthly newsletter.  Click here for more information