SouthWings
SouthWings is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 1996 that arranges free aerial observation flights via a network of 78 volunteer pilots for conservation nonprofits, media, and government agencies across the southeastern United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersAsheville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SouthWings does
SouthWings is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization founded in 1996 and headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina. The organization arranges free aerial observation flights conducted by licensed volunteer pilots on behalf of conservation partners, government agencies, media organizations, and educational institutions. Coverage spans approximately 15 to 16 southeastern US states, supported by a satellite office in New Orleans that was established in 2012.
The core operational product is a no-cost aerial documentation mission: SouthWings matches volunteer pilots who donate aircraft time and fuel with conservation partners who require overhead perspective to monitor habitats, document environmental issues, or support media coverage. The organization works with more than 70 nonprofit conservation partners and has contributed to over 130 media pieces, including coverage by BBC, CNN, and 60 Minutes. Operations are executed by a network of 78 volunteer pilots (up from approximately 50) coordinated by a small professional staff of fewer than 10 employees under Executive Director Meredith Dowling, who assumed the role in 2021.
SouthWings operates on a donation-and-grant funding model with no fees for service, no commercial products, and no pricing structure. There is no revenue from flight missions; financial sustainability depends entirely on charitable contributions and grant funding. The organization maintains governance through a board that has added new members in 2023 and 2025, and has scheduled a 30th Anniversary Fly-In event for 2026 to mark three decades of continuous operation.
SouthWings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SouthWings
- Legal name
- SouthWings Inc.
- Website
- https://southwings.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SouthWings is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 1996 that arranges free aerial observation flights via a network of 78 volunteer pilots for conservation nonprofits, media, and government agencies across the southeastern United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SouthWings industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Conservation Aviation Services
- NAICS
- Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scenic/Tour & Aerial Sightseeing Flights (TLAFABAJ)
Keywords
Where SouthWings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Asheville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
SouthWings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: SouthWings is a nonprofit organization that depends on generous support from donors and granting foundations to arrange flights for community partners throughout the Southeast.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Free conservation flights for qualified partners |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
SouthWings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SouthWings coordinates free aerial observation flights through a network of volunteer pilots for nonprofit conservation partners, media organizations, government officials, and educational institutions across 15 southeastern states. The flights provide aerial photography and videography to document environmental issues such as mountaintop removal coal mining, oil spills, wetland loss, and pollution, supporting advocacy, media coverage, and policy engagement.
Product overview
SouthWings is a nonprofit conservation organization that provides a network of volunteer pilots who conduct aerial observation flights to support environmental monitoring and advocacy. The organization does not offer commercial software products or technology services. Its core offering is free conservation flight coordination services connecting nonprofit conservation partners, media organizations, government officials, and educational institutions with volunteer pilots who provide aerial perspectives for environmental documentation, pollution monitoring, habitat assessment, and advocacy campaigns. SouthWings operates as a single service offering without distinct commercial products, modules, or platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Conservation Flight Services Free aerial observation flights coordinated through a network of volunteer pilots for nonprofit conservation partners, media organizations, government officials, and educational institutions across 15 southeastern states. Flights provide aerial photography and videography to document environmental issues such as mountaintop removal coal mining, oil spills, wetland loss, and pollution, supporting advocacy, media coverage, and policy engagement.
Quantifiable outcome
- 170 conservation flights launched in a record year
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use SouthWings
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SouthWings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
SouthWings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Louisiana FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam)minorCo-presented Hot Weather Flying presentation with SouthWings at quarterly Gulf Pilot Meet-Up.
- Waterkeeper AlliancecoreWaterkeeper Alliance partners use SouthWings flights to monitor threats to Southeastern waterways from urban development, livestock waste, coal ash, and other pollution sources.
- Healthy GulfcoreHealthy Gulf (formerly Gulf Restoration Network) has partnered with SouthWings for years on cleaning up coal in the Mississippi River, reporting oil and gas leaks to the Coast Guard, and identifying and stopping illegal wetland destruction.
- Environmental Defense FundcoreEnvironmental Defense Fund is listed as a partner organization benefiting from SouthWings conservation flights.
- Sierra ClubcoreSierra Club is listed as a local, regional, and national partner organization.
- LightHawkcoreFor flight needs outside of SouthWings' operating region, contact their sister organization LightHawk.
- Savannah RiverkeepercorePartner organization for environmental monitoring and advocacy, including Q&A session for 'Georgia's Dirty Little Secret' film screening.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SouthWings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sierra Club: National environmental organization and SouthWings partner. Engages SouthWings for aerial missions but is a multi-million-member advocacy powerhouse with a much broader mission portfolio.
- Environmental Defense Fund: Major environmental nonprofit listed as a SouthWings partner. Engages SouthWings for aerial evidence but is many orders of magnitude larger and pursues a broader policy and science agenda.
- Healthy Gulf: Gulf Coast-focused environmental nonprofit and long-standing SouthWings partner. Competes with SouthWings for foundation funding in the same geography but does not operate aviation programs itself.
- Waterkeeper Alliance: Global clean-water nonprofit and direct SouthWings customer. Uses SouthWings flights to monitor waterways but is a much larger, professionally staffed organization with its own programs and field operations.
- Air Care Alliance: Umbrella association of volunteer pilot organizations providing public-benefit flights. Not a direct aerial conservation competitor but the sector-wide steward and referral network that includes SouthWings-style organizations.
- National Audubon Society: Large environmental nonprofit with overlapping conservation advocacy goals. Not a direct aviation peer, but operates in overlapping geographies and competes for conservation donor dollars.
Emerging players
- Earthworks: Environmental NGO that uses aerial and field surveillance to document fossil-fuel and mining impacts. Overlaps with SouthWings' mission, particularly around mountaintop removal and oil/gas leak monitoring, but uses drones and ground teams.
- SkyTruth: Environmental monitoring nonprofit using satellite and aerial imagery to document pollution and land-use change. Competes with SouthWings for the same partner organizations' attention, but uses remote sensing rather than manned flights.
Direct peers
- LightHawk: Volunteer-pilot conservation aviation nonprofit and explicit 'sister organization' of SouthWings. Operates the same model of free aerial flights for conservation and is the natural complement for missions outside SouthWings' Southeast region.
- EcoFlight: Nonprofit that flies conservationists, scientists, and journalists over threatened landscapes in the Western US. Closest direct functional peer to SouthWings with a near-identical model — aerial flights for conservation advocacy and education.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SouthWings social profiles
Digital presenceSouthWings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SouthWings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
SouthWings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SouthWings M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SouthWings
What does SouthWings do?
SouthWings coordinates free aerial observation flights through a network of volunteer pilots for nonprofit conservation partners, media organizations, government officials, and educational institutions across 15 southeastern states. The flights provide aerial photography and videography to document environmental issues such as mountaintop removal coal mining, oil spills, wetland loss, and pollution, supporting advocacy, media coverage, and policy engagement.
Is SouthWings a public or private company?
SouthWings is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SouthWings founded?
SouthWings was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SouthWings based?
SouthWings is headquartered in Asheville, United States, in the North America region.
How does SouthWings make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Grants.
Who are SouthWings's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, Healthy Gulf, Waterkeeper Alliance, Air Care Alliance and National Audubon Society. Emerging players are Earthworks and SkyTruth. Direct peers are LightHawk and EcoFlight.
Does SouthWings have an API?
No public API is recorded for SouthWings.
What industry is SouthWings in?
SouthWings's product category is Conservation Aviation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFABAJ, Scenic/Tour & Aerial Sightseeing Flights. Its NAICS code is 481211 and its SIC code is 4522.