Insights

From Rescue Flights to Remote Adventures: The Story That Built Fetch Air

Johnny Rapp
November 19, 2025

Before Fetch Air was a charter company…

Before we flew founders, families, executives, or explorers…

Before our aircraft were polished, refurbished, or wrapped in our colors…

There was Zeus.

Andrew’s dog — our COO’s loyal companion, co-pilot in spirit, and the heartbeat behind so much of who we are today. Zeus wasn’t just a pet to us; he was a reminder of why we started flying in the first place: to give second chances, to serve with purpose, and to support the beings who can’t always speak for themselves.

What many people don’t know is that Fetch Air didn’t begin as a business.

It began as a rescue unit.

A small aircraft.

A handful of volunteers.

A mission rooted in compassion.

With Zeus curled up in the backseat or watching from the hangar, we made our earliest flights not to vacation destinations, but to shelters, disaster zones, and training centers. We partnered with organizations like Angel Flight West and the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF), flying dogs who needed second chances — dogs who would go on to save lives.

Every dog we transported was a life at a turning point.

Every mission mattered.

And according to the Search Dog Foundation themselves:

“To date, Fetch Air has flown over 20 dogs—each flight a vital step toward transforming these dogs into life-saving search and rescue partners. What truly sets Fetch Air apart is their unwavering dedication as volunteers… Every dog they transport is given a second chance to discover its true purpose.”

Those words mean everything to us.

Because they capture exactly what this company is built on: heart, service, and the belief that aviation can do more.

How Rescue Flights Became the Blueprint for Fetch Air

Flying these missions showed us that aviation is about connection — not just movement. It showed us that a small plane can change a dog’s life, a family’s life, or the outcome of a rescue operation. It taught us precision, discipline, compassion, and responsibility.

It shaped our culture from day one.

So when we eventually expanded into private travel — bringing people to beaches, mountains, islands, lakes, and hidden strips most jets can’t reach — we carried those values with us. The same care we gave those rescue dogs is the same care we give every passenger today.

This is why we’re proud to say:

Fetch Air will always be dog-friendly.

Always compassionate.

Always purpose-driven.

Zeus wouldn’t have it any other way.

Where We’re Going: Purpose, People, and Places That Feel Alive

Today, our mission has grown — not away from our origins, but alongside them.

We believe that travel should feel meaningful.

That aircraft should be tools for connection.

That adventure should take you somewhere real — somewhere wild, somewhere breathtaking, somewhere worth remembering.

And so, as we look toward the future of Fetch Air, we’re expanding our reach to help people all across the United States:

  • Adventure more freely
  • Experience life in the world’s most beautiful and exotic locations
  • Reconnect with nature, family, and the places that make life feel bigger
  • Travel with their dogs beside them — safely, comfortably, joyfully

Whether it’s Catalina, Baja, Yosemite, Big Bear, Moab, Mexico’s coastlines, or the hidden grass strips only a PC-12 can reach — we’re here to make private travel feel deeply human.

Because our purpose isn’t just to fly.

It’s to bring people — and their pets — into the world in a way that feels alive.

Zeus’s Legacy Lives in Every Flight

Every time we lift off, we’re reminded of where it all started.

A dog.

A mission.

A belief that aviation can help.

Zeus helped show us our purpose.

The dogs we flew showed us our heart.

And every passenger we carry today helps us write the next chapter.

Fetch Air isn’t just a charter company.

We’re a purpose-built operation — a team of people who believe in service, compassion, adventure, and the transformative magic of flight.

And whether you’re traveling with your family, your team, or your dog…

You’re always welcome aboard.