It’s a bird....it’s a plane....it’s a....flying eye hospital?  

For people who need aid—vital medical help, relief services, and transportation—humanitarian flights can mean survival. The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is one such example of humanitarian flight. 

Outfitted with exam and treatment rooms, an operating center, and classrooms, the Flying Eye Hospital airplane is where healing happens. Orbis supplies volunteer medical professionals while donors fund aircraft and flights to destinations in need. Making eye care and the prevention of avoidable blindness available brings lasting change for people and their communities. 

Why a flying eye hospital? Nearly 80% of visual impairment can be prevented or cured. The Flying Eye Hospital trains local medical staff and invites doctors to watch or perform surgery on the aircraft. Global telemedicine allows the healthcare providers to continue their training. Experienced pilots volunteer to fly these missions around the world. Most are retired or current cargo or airline pilots.

A DC-10 jet airliner parked on an airport runway. It is covered in the orbis logo and says flying eye hospital on the side.
A converted DC-10 aircraft used for the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital. Image courtesy of Orbis and Geoff Oliver Bugbee. 

The first mobile teaching flying eye hospital was a modified Douglas DC-8 airliner. In 1992, Orbis converted a DC-10 wide-body aircraft into a full teaching and surgical hospital. Donated by United Airlines, it was the first non-land-based hospital to gain U.S. accreditation. Orbis flew its first mission in 1994 to Beijing, China.

Five pilots walking toward the camera shoulder to shoulder. The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital can be see in the background.
Volunteer pilots from the Flying Eye Hospital. Image courtesy of Orbis and Geoff Oliver Bugbee.

In 2016, Orbis accepted an MD-10 cargo plane modified from the original Boeing DC-10-30F type by Federal Express. The MD-10 became a state-of-the-art hospital carrying doctors, nurses, engineers, support staff, and supplies. Modular medical units are removable for easy upgrade and resupply. 

A diagram showing the different areas within the flying eye jet. Starting at the nose of the plane and working back toward the tail, the different areas are as follows: a 46-seat classroom, an administration room, an audiovisual/IT room, a laser treatment room, an observation area, an operating room, a sterilization room, and a recovery room.
A diagram showing the MD-10-30 Flying Eye Hospital. Image courtesy of Orbis and Geoff Oliver Bugbee. 

So what is it like on the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital? Join us for a week aboard this humanitarian aircraft. 

Prepping for the Mission 

The Flying Eye Hospital averages three trips a year, each lasting two to three weeks. The airplane usually lands a couple of days before the training program starts. Setting up the airplane and equipment as a hospital takes six to eight hours. (It takes as long to pack it up.)

 

  • A small child looks into optometry equipment while a doctor takes measurements.
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    Monday 

    Patients are screened at the local partner hospital. The staff selects the best cases for teaching and free surgery. Image courtesy of Orbis and Geoff Oliver Bugbee. 

  • Four medical professionals stand around an operating table. One of them sits next to the table looking into a machine that is focuses on the patient.
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    Tuesday-Friday Morning 

    Live surgery is performed on the aircraft for cataract, glaucoma, retina, pediatric, or other sub-specialties on the plane. Orbis staff conducts training lectures between surgeries. Each patient receives a post-op exam the day after surgery. Image courtesy of Orbis and Geoff Oliver Bugbee. 

  • A group of people stand in a semi circle talking inside an operating room.
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    Friday Afternoon or Saturday 

    Local ophthalmologists, residents, and nurses at partner hospitals attend ophthalmic (eye-related) or nursing symposiums. Image courtesy of Orbis and Geoff Oliver Bugbee. 

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  • A small child looks into optometry equipment while a doctor takes measurements.
  • Four medical professionals stand around an operating table. One of them sits next to the table looking into a machine that is focuses on the patient.
  • A group of people stand in a semi circle talking inside an operating room.

Medicine and aviation come together through the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital. Since 1982, this teaching hospital with wings has been working to prevent blindness around the world. It not only treats patients, but also educates healthcare workers in their communities.

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The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital
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