This picture was just too exceptional not to use as our next invite. Enjoy and we hope you get these dates on your calendar and finally join us for the next Fly-In & Help Out Event October 25th – 28th 2012. Photo credits go to Katharine Zimmerman shooting with her Sony point and shoot camera. Click image for full size…its really beautiful!
We express or appreciation to Will Carlton of Flower Mound Texas for shooting this great video from the Spring Fly-In & Help Out Event. He mounted an action video camera on the underside of the wing of his Bellanca and then flew along with other pilots over the islands to bring us this special visual treat. Great Job Will!
You’ll see we do enjoy some of the most beautiful flying the world has to offer when we participate in Bahamas Habitat missions. We hope this video will inspire you to come along on the next trip! October 25-28th is the next group event. (more…)
Enjoy the Best Of Photos from the February Fly-In & Help Out Event
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Volunteers Learn How Mission Flights Are Rewarding & Fun
February 2, 2012 — Bahamas Habitat (www.bahamashabitat.org) announced today that pilots will be flying to Eleuthera, in February to complete the final stages of a home for abused children. The semi-annual Fly In & Help Out Event, to be held on Thursday, February 16th through Sunday, February 19th 2012, serves as an introduction to international mission flying and provides hands on experience with ongoing projects in The Bahamas. All pilots are invited to join us for this special event to hone their international mission flying skills. Typically, over 40 people in more than a dozen aircraft make the trip. The Bahamas Habitat said they expect this event to be even larger due to the excitement surrounding finishing the children’s home.
Construction of the Zion Children’s Home on Current Island began in the fall of 2010 because of the dream of two sisters who wanted to help many abused children. 
Thanks to generous support from faithful Bahamas Habitat donors and the local Bahamas church and government, the dream is becoming a reality. Volunteer pilots at the February Fly-In & Help Out Event will transport supplies and focus efforts on completing the first 2 buildings of the children’s home to provide care and safety for 16 abused or orphaned children.
With the children’s home in the final stages of preparation for the grand opening, it’s not too late to get involved. Supplies are still needed to furnish the kitchen. A gift registry was set up at Bed Bath & Beyond using the first name, Zion and last name, Children with instructions on how to ship the purchased items directly to a Bahamas Habitat Florida hub for transport during the upcoming Fly-In & Help Out Event. (more…)
“While on location in The Bahamas working on an AOPA story for their magazine, the folks at AOPA contacted us and offered to fly a load of supplies in their Cessna 
Caravan” states John Armstrong, President of Bahamas Habitat. “They have been very supportive and interested in our progress on the Children’s Home project.”
The AOPA pilot for the flight was Luz Beattie, accompanied by Woody Cahall, Vice President Pilot Information Center and photographer Chris Rose. The group flew to Showalter Flying Service-KORL in Orlando, FL, where they picked up supplies for Zion Children’s Home and Bahamas Methodist Habitat (BMH). Gene and Katherine Zimmerman met them there and loaded supplies along with Pilot Luz. “The Showalter staff was a great help with loading and transporting items to the plane” 
said Katherine Zimmerman. The Children’s Home supplies included kitchen items purchased through the Zion Children gift registry at Bed Bath & Beyond. They dropped off all of the items at N. Eleuthera airport where they were met by Osbourn Weech, contractor for the Zion Home, and Abe McIntyre of BMH. Abe and Osbourn transported the supplies to their work sites.
Many thanks to Luz, Woody and Chris for their direct involvement in this project. Your efforts will benefit many children. Thanks also goes out to the AOPA organization and their continued involvement with Zion Children’s Home and Bahamas Habitat. We look forward to the possibility of partnering with you for future missions to aid the people of The Bahamas.
The first phase of the Zion Children’s Home Project construction is nearing completion! A team will be traveling to Eleuthera February 16-19th with the i
ntent of putting the finishing touches on the first 2 cottages. Upon completion, the home will provide a safe haven for 16 children seeking refuge from abuse and/or neglect.
Your support is needed to finish the Children’s Home! You can purchase a household item at our Bed Bath & Beyond gift registry (First Name-Zion, Last Name-Children) and have it shipped to the designated delivery point or make a monetary donation through the Bahamas Habitat website.
“ Bahamas Habitat has received the very generous gift of a terrific Piper Aztec aircraft in excellent airworthy condition,” announced Steve Merritt, Chief Pilot and Treasurer of Bahamas Habitat. He went on to say, “This gift of an aircraft by a supporter in Minnesota reflects the gratitude that we all feel for the blessing of being involved in this mission.”
Walt and Raeanna Gislason of Willmar, Minnesota made this generous contribution in order to enable the mission to provide logistical support for disaster relief in the islands of the Bahamas and Haiti. Walt Gislason said, “After my wife, Raeanna and I read about the excellent work that Bahamas Habitat is doing, we thought we could be of assistance by donating this aircraft that would be better used in their mission work.”
Bahamas Habitat has used donated aircraft over the last two years to provide logistical support for people and supplies to support disaster relief efforts from the earthquake in Haiti in January and February of 2010, and more recently to help alleviate the suffering from the effects of Hurricane Irene in the Bahamas. When there aren’t disasters to respond to the organization uses the planes to support ongoing building projects in the Bahamas like the building of a Children’s Home on Current Island and in support of their main base camp on Eleuthera.
Attention Aircraft Owners: It Is Not Too Late—It is not too late to consider the donation of your aircraft to Bahamas Habitat to take advantage of full deductibility on 2011 tax returns. If you know of anyone who might be interested in aiding the disaster relief program of Bahamas Habitat, there are significant tax advantages to doing so.
In order to take advantage of the tax deduction, the donation must be made before January 1, 2012. Please contact Steve Merritt at 919-280-5510 or treasurer@bahamashabitat.org. He will provide you and your tax advisor with advice on how to create an extremely mutually beneficial situation based on the gift of an aircraft.
“Donating an aircraft is quick and easy and generates real money for the donor in the form of reduced taxes or refunds, so it can be a very viable solution for owners wishing to sell or dispose of their aircraft and get an immediate return.” states John Armstrong, President of Bahamas Habitat.
Bahamas Habitat is currently conducting its year-end online fund raising campaign (see: www.bahamashabitat.org.) where donors can make pledges of cash, future payments or vehicles such as aircraft. Funds benefit the operation of the mission and for the completion of the Children’s Home on Current Island.
The organization is hosting its next “Fly-In & Help Out” event February 16th – 19th, 2012. Pilots and volunteers interested in becoming involved in flying missions with Bahamas Habitat should sign up at www.bahamashabitat.org to receive the Fly-In & Help Out event information. This will put them on the mission notice email list.
AVIATION MISSION ORGANIZATION LAUNCHES
UNIQUE ONLINE SYSTEM TO RAISE $300,000
Pilots and volunteers opening their hearts and offering their support.
November 23, 2011 — “The Bahamas Habitat annual fund raising ‘Christmas Campaign’ is officially underway and will continue until the end of December,” announced John Armstrong, President of Bahamas Habitat. He went on to say, “The Thanksgiving season is the perfect time to begin our efforts because it reflects the gratitude that we all feel for the blessing of being involved in this mission.”
The organization is using a unique online system it developed that gets everyone involved and leverages social media to not only raise money but to also “Friend Raise” by getting the word out about the mission. Those that have flown or volunteered in the past act as “ambassadors” to ask their friends and contacts for help to reach their fundraising goals using a personalize webpage on the organization’s fund raising site. They expect over 120 ambassadors to be involved this year.
“This approach helps us not only raise money but it raises awareness so that when a disaster hits we reach out for help and the response is usually immediate” adds Armstrong. The organization raised $150,000 last year and has doubled their goal this year to raise $300,000. Funds from this years campaign will support three major areas: (more…)
AOPA’s Alyssa Miller put together a great article to get the word out about the upcoming Fly-In & Help Out event coming up October 20-23. Their post includes great photos of our flying, recent hurricane damage and our mission activities.
It’s not too late to join us for this very special trip.
Get info and register to come with us!
To see the full article Click Here or on the photo below
Please help spread the word by using the social media sharing buttons on this post.
After Hurricane Irene there is still much to do. Pilots will fly to the Bahamas to make a difference while learning international mission flying.
19 September 2011 –– Bahamas Habitat announced today that in the wake of Hurricane Irene pilots are invited to join in the upcoming Fly-In & Help Out weekend flight to Eleuthera scheduled for Thursday, October 20th through Sunday, October 23rd, 2011. The organization is extending an open invitation to all interested aircraft owners and pilots to join this exciting mission which benefits the disaster relief and habitat repair operations of Bahamas Habitat. (more…)