Talons Out Honor Flight, Inc.

What Talons Out Honor Flight, Inc. does

Talons Out Honor Flight, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 and headquartered in Portage, Michigan, that provides no-cost, all-expenses-paid Honor Flights for WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam era Veterans from Southern Michigan to the war memorials in Washington, D.C. The organization operates as a hub within the national Honor Flight Network and has completed 27 missions through October 2025, with Mission 29 already scheduled for September 26, 2026. The service model is structured around two flights per year, each transporting approximately 80 Veterans, with WWII and Korean Veterans receiving priority on a first-apply, first-fly waitlist basis; Guardians (family members) accompany each Veteran, and a separate volunteer corps supports ground operations, medical accompaniment, and fundraising.

The organization runs entirely on a 100% volunteer workforce with zero paid staff, governed by a volunteer Board of Directors covering President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and functional leads for Fundraising, Ground Crew, Marketing, Med Team, and Tour Lead roles. The technology stack is composed entirely of third-party SaaS tools rather than proprietary systems: Zeffy for online donations and event ticketing, HonorApps for Veteran/Guardian/Volunteer registration, SmugMug for mission photo galleries, and Wix for the public website. There is no proprietary technology, mobile application, or AI component disclosed.

Revenue is generated exclusively through individual donations at tiered levels ($50 for meals, $75 for meals plus photo, $150 for the full experience with apparel, $750 to fully sponsor a Veteran's trip), corporate sponsorships (including a Flight Sponsorship Program), and recurring fundraising events such as the Drive to Fly 2026 golf outing at Boulder Creek Golf Club and the 2026 Pfizer Auto Show. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth, partnerships with veteran resource organizations, and organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram) to recruit Veterans and donors. Financial figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Talons Out Honor Flight, Inc.

Legal name

Talons Out Honor Flight, Inc.

Website

https://www.talonsouthonorflight.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Talons Out Honor Flight is a 100% volunteer-run, donation-funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, all-expenses-paid Honor Flights for WWII, Korean, and Vietnam era Veterans from Southern Michigan to the war memorials in Washington, D.C., operating two flights per year for approximately 80 Veterans each.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Helicopter Charter & Sightseeing (TLAFABAH)

Keywords

• Veteran honor flights
• Nonprofit veteran services
• Memorial travel programs
• Community fundraising events
• Volunteer charity programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Portage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: The organization raises funds through individual donations at various levels ($50-$750) and corporate sponsorships. Donations are processed through the Zeffy platform and are tax-deductible as the organization is a nonprofit.
2. Fundraising Events: Community events such as golf outings (Drive to Fly 2026) and auto shows (Pfizer Auto Show) generate revenue to support Veteran flights.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Talons Out Honor Flight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that flies WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam era Veterans at no cost to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials built in their honor. The organization schedules approximately two flights per year, carrying around 80 Veterans per flight, and is operated entirely by a 100% volunteer workforce. Funding is raised through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and community fundraising events such as golf outings and auto shows.

Product overview

Talons Out Honor Flight is a nonprofit organization operating as a single, unified service program focused on honoring Veterans from WWII, Korean, and Vietnam eras by providing free flights to Washington, D.C. The core offering is the Honor Flight Program, supplemented by three application portals (Veteran, Guardian, and Volunteer) for managing participation, a Flight Sponsorship Program for corporate partners, and a Donation System for individual contributions. All services are delivered through third-party platforms including Zeffy for donations/ticketing, HonorApps for applications, and SmugMug for mission photo galleries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Honor Flight Program

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Honor Flight NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTalons Out Honor Flight is a hub affiliated with the Honor Flight Network, a national organization that recognizes American Veterans for their sacrifices by flying them to Washington D.C. to see their memorials at no cost. The network provides coordination, recognition, and support for local hubs like Talons Out.
• Boulder Creek Golf ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoulder Creek Golf Club hosts the Drive to Fly 2026 fundraiser event, providing venue for the organization's golf outing fundraising activity.
• PfizerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPfizer hosts the 2026 Pfizer Auto Show fundraiser event, providing venue and support for the organization's automotive fundraising event.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Honor Flight Network: National umbrella organization coordinating Honor Flight hubs across the country. Direct comparable as the parent network that Talons Out operates within, setting standards and providing coordination infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Michigan Honor Flight: Another Michigan-based Honor Flight hub serving Michigan Veterans with the same charter-flight-to-D.C. model. Operates in overlapping geography with Talons Out, representing direct competition for donors and Veteran applicants.
• Badger Honor Flight: Wisconsin-based Honor Flight hub serving Veterans from Wisconsin with the same charter-flight mission structure and veteran-centric volunteer model. Closely comparable in operational design and beneficiary focus.
• Honor Flight of Northern Indiana: Northern Indiana regional Honor Flight hub serving Veterans from that region with the same model. Comparable in scale, regional scope, and operational approach to Talons Out.
• Never Forgotten Honor Flight: Wisconsin-based Honor Flight hub with similar regional scope and mission focus. Another comparable regional peer operating the same charter-flight program for Veterans.
• Greater Rochester Honor Flight: Regional Honor Flight hub serving Veterans from the Greater Rochester, NY area. Comparable regional model with same mission, volunteer workforce, and charter flight delivery structure.
• Stars and Stripes Honor Flight: Honor Flight hub serving Wisconsin Veterans with the same all-volunteer nonprofit structure and free-charter-flight mission model. Closely comparable peer in operations and beneficiary type.
• Upstate New York Honor Flight: New York-based Honor Flight hub serving upstate Veterans. Operates the same charter-flight-to-D.C. model with comparable regional scope and veteran population focus.
• Philadelphia Honor Flight: Philadelphia regional Honor Flight hub with the same mission and operational structure. Another comparable regional peer delivering the charter-flight program for Veterans.
• Lone Star Honor Flight: Texas-based Honor Flight hub serving Texas Veterans with the same charter-flight-to-D.C. mission and volunteer-driven nonprofit structure. Comparable in operational model though serving a larger geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TalonsOutHonorFlight
• Instagraminstagram.com/talons_out
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/talons-out-honor-flight---michigan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Talons Out Honor Flight, Inc.