Pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, ground crew …they’re all just people too, and yes, they can have addictions.  We all seem to hold people in aviation positions to a higher standard of conduct, but do not consider that they are just as human as you or I, and susceptible to diseases, just as you and I are.

We still deal with the public perception that chemical dependence is not a disease, and therefore, insurance coverage for employees leaves little or no funding for recovery efforts.  This is the reason Aviation Family Fund was created; to offer financial assistance to either begin recovery, or supplement expenses that insurance companies will not cover.  From the shattered world around them, the aviation employee, and their family, who seeks out recovery can have one more worry lifted from them.  AFF helps with inpatient, outpatient, doctor visits and other related expenses.  This is not a “free ride,” but financial assistance for those who genuinely want to follow a life of recovery.