The private pilots flying abortion seekers across the Midwest

T. Gorhum // ShutterstockThe private pilots flying abortion seekers across the MidwestIn the fall of 2022, Mike climbed into the pilot’s seat with an idea.For the past few months, the private pilot had been volunteering with the Illinois-based Midwest Access Coalition, an abortion support fund that he’d come across in his post-George Floyd anti-racism journey.“I thought, there’s gotta be people out there helping people travel for abortions, because it’s not like every medical facility you go to provides abortion care,” says Mike. Next City has agreed to use Mike’s first name only to protect his safety and privacy as he engages in this sensitive work. “So I reached out to say, hey, I want to volunteer for anything you might need—driving, hosting, whatever.”But he also wanted to share a proposal: What if recreational pilots like himself could volunteer their skills to get abortion seekers the care they needed?For over a decade, the Midwest Access Coalition has worked to provide financial and logistical support for abortion seekers in the region, which includes Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, and other states with the country’s most restrictive abortion bans, Next City reports.MAC coordinates a unique plan for each client—most of whom are traveling to Illinois...