50 flights. 50 days. One goal: move conservation forward. The 50 in 50 Challenge returns May 4.

LightHawk’s volunteer pilots will complete 50 flights across the country — working with partners where aerial access makes a difference to protect wildlife and landscapes. Let's go!

#50in50Challenge

56 Flights. 50 Days. Here’s What It Looked Like. Over 50 days in May, June and July, LightHawk and its volunteer pilots completed 56 flights for conservation work across the country. Here's what we accomplished!

🛩️ The #50in50Challenge is complete—but the impact still continues!

✅ 56 conservation flights
✅ 50 days
✅ 29 partners
✅ 27 pilots
✅ 14 states
✅ 225 hours in the air

🎥 Watch the Challenge unfold in just 90 seconds: https://loom.ly/j-DT29I

🛩️ Flight 56 brought the #50in50Challenge to a meaningful close. Jason Latham of Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust said:

“That was the best flight I've ever been on… it reminded me of why I chose conservation as a profession.”

That’s the heart of what we do. Connecting people to place to protect it.

🚀 We set out for 50 conservation flights in 50 days—and we flew 56!

That’s the spirit of the #50in50Challenge.

This wasn’t easy. It took planning, skilled flying, & a shared belief in the power of a new perspective. 💪

💙 Thanks to all who made it possible.
🌟 Final flight stories coming soon!

Flights 39 & 40 of our #50in50Challenge: Monitoring recreation pressure on the Upper Delaware with Friends of the Upper Delaware River.

Crowding is real—from boats to parking lots. Aerial imagery helps guide smarter stewardship.

🙌 Thanks to #LightHawk pilots Kenneth Kleinberg & Kent Wein!

The cover of the spring 2025 issue of POPA magazine with a Pilatus PC-12 coming to a stop on a dirt runway on the cover

The opening spread of a feature titled “Mission: Air Wolf” about a LightHawk collaboration with Colorado Fish and Wildlife and relocation of wolves

An interior spread of a feature showing pics of a PC-12 flying over the mountains and a wolf crate for transport

In honor of the #LightHawk 50-in-50 campaign to fly those many conservation flights in 50 days, here’s a feature from the spring issue of POPA Magazine, where we talk with Jack Long, who has completed several extraordinary wolf relocations, among other volunteer flights.

#50in50challenge #pilatus

Northern Colorado Pilot Uses the Sky to Shine a Light on Water and Wildfire Challenges Dr. Rick Turley of Laporte volunteers his time and aircraft with LightHawk to help leaders understand Colorado’s water and wildfire issues from the air.

LH pilot Dr. Rick Turley featured for his role in the #50in50Challenge!

His flight offered a new perspective for tribal leaders, journalists, & law students on climate related stressors, including burn scars, shrinking reservoirs, & altered CO landscapes.

📺 Check it out: loom.ly/1LvO8os

Grand Junction pilot contributes to nationwide challenge How he’s helping the environment with conservation flights

📰 Just in! Volunteer Pilot + physician Steve Meyer was featured on KJCT for flying his 34th conservation mission with #LightHawk during our #50in50Challenge.

His flight helped spot rare wetlands for the CO Natural Heritage Program—habitats you can’t see from the ground.

📺 Watch: loom.ly/QzHbvcA

🛩️ #50in50Challenge Flights 23–29 flew Fire Adapted Colorado over wildfire-prone landscapes to better understand fire scars, land use, and mitigation zones.

🔥 The goal: help them become stronger voices for wildfire resilience in CO.

Thanks to pilots Charles Heywood, Rick Turley & John Lacey!

🛩️ Flight 21 of our #50in50Challenge flew with partner Archeology Southwest over 1.7M sq yards of ancient “waffle gardens” near Safford, AZ. Barely visible from the ground—but from above, their patterns and ingenuity come to life.

Thanks to pilot Will Worthington!
📸Photos by Jonathan Bailey

🛩️ Flights 18 & 20 of our #50in50Challenge flew over Oregon with Greater Hells Canyon Council to capture aerial imagery of the 530-mile Blue Mountains Trail for conservation outreach and advocacy.

👏 Huge thanks to volunteer pilot Roy Lewallen!
#LightHawk #AerialConservation

🚀 Countdown: 6 weeks to go!
We’re taking off on the 50 in 50 Challenge—50 conservation flights in 50 days.

From rivers to coastlines, we’re flying to protect what matters most.

Join the mission!
🔗 lighthawk.org/50-in-50
#50in50Challenge #LightHawk #ConservationFromAbove