Local pilot passionate about helping others

When Bo Hunter retired from his job at a chemical plant in 1994, he could have filled his retirement with leisurely pursuits. Instead, Hunter, who has been flying planes as a hobby for more than 40 years, has spent the past 18 years volunteering his services as a pilot to charitable organizations such as Angel Flight.

Angel Flight’s Pilots for Patients program flies patients to hospitals across the country for treatment. During his time with Pilots for Patients, Hunter has transported hundreds of patients to and from medical facilities in six states.

“We fly patients from all over the United States for medical treatment at no cost to the patient,” Hunter said.

Hunter’s commitment to helping others doesn’t stop there. Noting a need for ground transportation, Hunter helped organize the Houston Ground Angels, a volunteer group that picks patients up from the airport and drives them to the hospital for treatment.

He also works with a group that mentors at-risk youth in an effort to help keep them out of trouble.

“We take them to the prison — the Texas Department of Justice — and we’ll spend about four days behind the walls, and they have a chance to talk with inmates, the warden, the guards,” Hunter said. “They have an opportunity to visit the inmates in 24-hour lockdown. It gives the kids an idea of if you make a wrong decision, (this is) where you’ll wind up and what’s going to happen.”

Hunter’s passion for others is inspired by looking back on his own life, and he’s quick to express gratitude for what he has.

“I’m 74 years old; I’ve been around a long time,” he said. “I’ve been blessed; the good Lord has blessed me. I’ve got a family, three kids — two sons and a daughter. All my kids were educated. I had a good job. I look back and, I tell you what, there’s not another person on earth as blessed as I am, and I’m serious when I say that.”

For more information on the Pilots for Patients program, visit www.pilotsforpatients.org. To learn more about Angel Flight, visit www.angelflight.com. You can also connect with Angel Flight and Pilots for Patients on Facebook.

ABOUT BO HUNTER
AGE: 74
OCCUPATION: Retired
COMMUNITY CONNECTION: Clear Lake area resident
FAST FACT: Has a degree in business administration from Prairie View A&M University