Our Story
We Have A Cure For Distance
Miracle Flights was founded in 1985 on the belief that a healthy life is the birthright of every child – regardless of income, ailment or distance from medical care.
Miracle Flights
From Angel Plane to National Charity
Originally called Angel Plane, we started flying regionally on private charters. Over the years, we became an engaged member of the Las Vegas community, staging a series of popular air shows to raise funds as we grew our network of pilots. We then started flying coast to coast and helped an ever-increasing number of children in need of specialty care that was only available far from home.
In 1996, we became Miracle Flights for Kids and began to earn national recognition for our work, including President George H.W. Bush’s Daily Points of Light Award in 2001.
By 2005, we began flying our families on commercial airlines for economical and convenience reasons. Demand continued to increase, and in 2010, we coordinated our 50,000th flight.
In 2013, we received over $40 million from a class action lawsuit unrelated to our operation. The judge ordered all unclaimed money in the settlement to go to a worthy charity. He chose Miracle Flights.
The earnings and proceeds from our ongoing fundraising initiatives cover the costs of our operations. Soon after, we dropped “For Kids” from our name and focused on serving adults as well.
Today, we are one of the nation’s leading medical flight charities and the first national nonprofit based in Las Vegas. We coordinate over 700 flights each month to medical facilities nationwide.
Our Timeline
1985
Angel Plane was founded in Las Vegas and coordinated its first private plane flight, which delivered life-saving blood to Tonopah, Nevada, after a traffic accident.
1986
Our first patient flight lifted off with a 10-year-old seeking cancer treatment.
1987
The Angel Plane Air Festival, a fundraiser featuring Chuck Yeager, took place.
1989
Wayne Newton’s Race for the Angels is a big hit in southern Nevada.
1993
In less than a decade, we’ve assembled a network of 200 private pilots and coordinated more than 2,000 flights from coast to coast.
1996
We changed our name to Miracle Flights For Kids.
1999
We flew our 20,000th passenger.
2000
At five weeks old, Jessica, whose family is told she may never walk, took her first Miracle Flight.
2001
We’ve been awarded the National Point of Light Award. Established by President George H.W. Bush, this honor celebrates the nation's leading charities.
2005
To save money and improve availability, we exclusively shifted from private flights to commercial flights.
2006
Southwest Airlines began donating flights to help hundreds of families every year. Their generous grant continues to this day.
2010
We coordinated our 50,000th flight.
2013
We received a one-time donation that expanded our programs and outreach.
2014
We changed our name to Miracle Flights as we began flying adults, like Patricia, whose specialty care for breast cancer has resulted in her tumors shrinking.
2016
We celebrated our 100,000th flyer, Levi. One of only six people in the U.S. with his form of dwarfism, Levi continues to defy the odds related to his condition, thanks in part to Miracle Flights.
2017
We launched our Swings for Wings annual fundraiser at Topgolf Las Vegas and began a multi-year partnership with UFC.
2018
After 35 Miracle Flights and 17 surgeries, Jessica walked across the stage at her high school graduation.
2019
More than 5,000 attended our first Carnival in the Clouds drone festival. We launched our national partnerships with Blacklane and The Parking Spot, ensuring every step of our families' travel journey is covered.
2020
Amid a global pandemic, we launched Smiles with Miles.
2021
Downtown Summerlin in Las Vegas is illuminated for the first time with Lights for Flights.
2022
On June 25, 2022, we reached our milestone 150,000th flight, flying three-year-old Watson and his family from Las Vegas to the Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida, for clubfoot treatment.
