Seuk Kim had always dreamed of soaring through the skies. So, at 49, he made a bold move: leaving his stable finance job to become a pilot. Fast forward to November, and he was on the tarmac at Culpeper Regional Airport in Northern Virginia, surrounded by crates filled with four furry passengers—dogs on their way to safety.

Kim’s plane wasn’t just for personal trips. He had joined a network of volunteer pilots who transport shelter animals to rescue organizations across the Northeast. These pets, often facing euthanasia, get a second chance at life thanks to people like Kim. On this particular day, he was part of a mission relocating 23 dogs and 12 cats.

One of his passengers was Pluto, a scrappy little Yorkshire terrier mix found wandering along a rural Georgia highway—a long way from home. Pluto’s journey would take him from Georgia to New York, with Kim guiding him on the final leg.

Kim’s co-pilots for the day? Four dogs, each snuggled into crates padded with blankets. The cabin of his single-engine Mooney M20J was cozy, to say the least. But for Kim, it was all worth it. “I just want to save one more,” he’d often tell friends.

As he clicked the final bungee cord into place, Kim smiled. For him, this wasn’t just a flight—it was a chance to give these animals a new beginning. And while the trip wasn’t without its challenges, it was a reminder of why he swapped spreadsheets for the skies.