Steven High
Orlando's Steven High Puts His Company Plane in the Service of Angel Flight Southeast Patients
By Leslie Johnston
 This construction company executive finds satisfaction in being a link between patients around the state and access to specialized healthcare resources.
It was while he was recuperating from a surgery of his own that Orlando's Steven High, president of H.J. High Construction Company, learned about Angel Flight Southeast and decided that he wanted to become a part of the organization's work. That was in 1991 — 15 years later he's still flying Angel Flight missions.
"I had an unexpected serious operation. While I was recuperating, I read an article about Angel Flight," he says. He realized, as people often do when they have survived a major illness or surgery, that he not only had much to be grateful, but also that he had the resources to become an Angel Flight pilot. "I looked into it, signed up, started doing flights and haven't stopped since," he says.
High's father, who founded H.J. High Construction, was a pilot. After completing his military service in the United States Army in 1967 and returning home to central Florida, the younger High took an introductory lesson that eventually led to his acquiring instrument ratings and flight instructor, ATP.
High says that many of the patients he transports fall into two categories: children with serious or rare diseases and illnesses and patients, of all ages, traveling to receive an organ transplant. One of his most memorable Angel Flights was being part of a group of six or seven planes traveling from Opa Locka to take young burn patients to Disney World for the weekend. He frequently transports children to the University of Florida's Shands Hospital in Gainesville for experimental treatments or to Miami for specialized cancer and eye care.
He often transports transplant patients.
"I may get a call at 1 a.m. if a patient needs to be in Miami, for example, in three hours to receive the transplant. These patients are coming out to an airport where they have most likely never been to meet a pilot they don't know, and they're nervous and scared to death of the operation they're going to have - and they've never been in a small airplane before!" Reassuring them - at least about their flight - is part of what High sees as part of his mission. "By the time we get to Miami, they are usually more relaxed, and they are very appreciative."
Depending upon patients' needs and weather conditions, the number of flights that High flies varies. "I may fly two or three a month, or I may go a month without a flight because my flights have gotten canceled for some reason," he says.
Although he doesn't get a chance to become acquainted with many of his fellow Angel Flight pilots, High says that he is struck by the generosity of those who choose to fly Angel Flight patients. "A few weeks ago, I relayed with a pilot in Fayetteville, North Carolina. I had tried to find him on Flight Tracker to make certain we were coordinated, but he wasn't on it. It turns out that he had had to rent a plane to fulfill his mission. He rented a plane and transported the patient to New Jersey."
High is now the owner of his second Bonanza A36. "I've had an A36 for about 20 years," he says. "I had a Travel Air before that, and it had no air conditioning, so I decided to get out of the flying business or get an air conditioner with wings!" With its cabin seating for six people and its large cargo doors, it is ideal for Angel Flights, he says. "It is spacious, and it has a good range." The A36 is well-equipped for the instrument flying that High does for his company around the state of Florida. "Our business is in the state of Florida. Anywhere I travel from Orlando is not much over an hour."
High is the second generation to operate the family-owned construction company. "We build a lot of churches," he says, "which now accounts for about half of our construction volume." His son, Robert, joined the company six years ago. His daughter, Sally, is also currently working with the company. High and his wife, Lynn, have been married for 34 years. He enjoys golf and exercising. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Overseers for the Crummer School of Business at Rollins College.
"There is a great satisfaction that pilots get from knowing that they have participated in something that makes such a dramatic difference in people's lives, providing them with assistance when they were not able to get somewhere on their own for treatment, or when they are so critically ill that they can't get there by other means," he says. "It's my ministry; it's not about what you get in return. You're helping save people's lives."
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