If you could fly a plane, who would you take with you?

It depends on how many it can carry, right? If we could take our entire family and our favorite group of friends, we would fly them anywhere they wanted to go. We could also take our spouses or partners if we’re feeling romantic.

But have you seen anyone fly animals?

Sure, it’s not the most common of stories. Flying an aircraft would cost a lot for just one trip, so who would want to spend all that money to transport animals? Well, apparently, there are many of them.

Retired pilot David Tan is one of those people, and it’s for a good cause.

David spent 15-year career years as a rescue helicopter pilot for Singapore Air Force and 40 years in the U.S. Air Force flying an Aermacchi FF-260. This two-person Italian plane taught him how to fly and become a good pilot. And while they used it for aerobatics, he now uses it to rescue dogs.

He learned about a rescue organization called Pilots N Paws in an aviation trade magazine article.

That’s where he met all the other pilots transporting rescued animals to take them to safety.

Most of them were flown out for health reasons, while others were sent to their forever homes. While they transport most animals via van, David said they flew some of them that needed immediate care.

David signed up for the organization because he believed these animals deserve better.

“There are just some terrible stories out there [about] how cruel people can be to animals, especially down south; the abandonments are horrible,” he told Madison Magazine.

“A family would just leave them, discard them like a piece of old furniture or something. So that kind of gets me. I feel good when at least I can contribute toward where they go,” he added.

And he loved every second of his job transporting animals via plane.

He has flown more than 360 dogs and 23 cats. He also rescued other animals, like three goats that suffered from frostbite, a potbelly pig, and a bat that was sent to a nature preserve in Ohio. Of course, they named the bat Bruce!

What David is doing is nothing short of amazing, but he was quick to deflect praises.

He said that the rescuers deserved all the credit because he believed they did more of the hard work; all he and the other pilots could do was fly the rescues. Paying for gas and other fees was nothing compared to saving the lives of these animals.

David also never took anything in return.

He admitted that he received a lot of “thank you” notes with cash in it, but he never took a cent. Instead, he would hand whatever cash or incentive he received to the rescue organization. He believed that they needed the cash more for their food, supplies, and other medical needs.

And whenever he drops off an animal, he only has one wish for them.

“You sort of say, ‘Hope you have a great rest of your life,’ you know?” he said about the rescues he flew to their forever homes. “‘Hope these people love you forever.’”

What a beautiful act of kindness!

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Source: Bored Panda, Pilots N Paws, Madison Magazine, David Tan Facebook Profile