Thanks to the help of partners such as Boeing the Flying Eye Hospital has been fighting blindness in communities around the world since 1982. We have operated three Flying Eye Hospital aircrafts that are all part of the Boeing heritage. The first was a Douglas DC-8, the second a DC-10. Boeing has played a crucial role in decisions such as retiring the DC-10, and providing engineering and modifications to turn a former FedEx MD-10 cargo plane into our third-generation flying hospital.
The plane will briefly be stateside to refuel, restock and showcase its work to the public, having just returned from training projects in Peru and Barbados. The crew will be preparing for a training project in Mongolia and a milestone visit to Ethiopia, celebrating 20 years of working in the country.