AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 67

Pilots Association. "We have a tremendous pilot population here and a very
active aviation community with more
than 100 in our association."
THE BIG C

Thalacker started flying in the late 1970s.
She brought her Cessna 172 to San Juan
Island when she and her husband, John,
a surveyor, moved there. Island hopping and offering scenic flights were
her favorite pastimes. When her friend
Connie was diagnosed with lung cancer, Thalacker saw the difficulty Connie
faced when traveling to her multiple
treatments on the mainland. Driving to
the ferry, traveling on the ferry (a twohour sail), driving to the hospital, and
coming back ate up nearly a full day.
With so many treatments, her friend
was doing more traveling than healing,
so Thalacker offered to fly Connie in her
172. Later, another friend also was battling cancer and although she did not
want to fly, she accepted Thalacker's
offer to drive her for treatments.
"We had a lot of time to talk so I saw
how hard it was. The cost was terrible.
We live on a beautiful island, but we have
no way to do what we have to do to be
healthy," said Thalacker. "She was my
inspiration. She helped me see what I
should do."
What Thalacker did was organize-
through the local Soroptimist Club and
the San Juan Pilots Association-the San
Juan Eagles, pilots who volunteer their
aircraft, time, fuel, and skills to transport
island patients to oncology treatments
at medical centers in Bellingham and
Mount Vernon, across Puget Sound. At
Skagit Regional Airport she enlisted the
aid of Corporate Air, and the FBO provided fuel discounts and brought in a new
car from Foothills Toyota for patients to
use. The courtesy car is always available
for either the pilot to drive the patient or
the patient to drive him- or herself.
"My husband became a patient. He
had 42 treatments [for prostate cancer]
and the Eagles flew him for 38 of his
treatments," Thalacker said. "He would
leave at noon and be home by two instead
of a whole day of travel."
Although many patients are retired,
Thalacker says the experience really
helps working people, too. "They can get

back and be able to work," she said. "It's
not just retired people who get cancer."
PILOT SKILLS

Flying in the San Juan islands offers
more than beautiful views. The changeable weather, winds, low visibility, and
other challenges are tests of the pilot's
skills, but they are tests these local pilots
like to take. Thalacker laughed as she
said, "These pilots just love to fly."
Bob Tauscher has been both pilot and
patient. He remembers one flight when,
as pilot, he told the patient she'd be home
within an hour. He calls that the "28hour" flight.
"I had been flying Joan-Ruth-'JR'-
for the past few weeks to Skagit. It was
February 21 and a nice clear morning.

"When the treatment's
over and doubt's still
laced with fear.
Look back upon the friends
you made, high in the
atmosphere.
Feel the wings above you,
be strong, be sure, be proud.
Be grateful for those
precious trips, you made up
through the clouds."
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018

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