Morey Field in Middleton sees its fair share of takeoffs and landings. However, the arrival of one pilot often causes a buzz. David Tan enjoys sports cars and plants, specifically, his SIAI-Marchetti SF260 plane.
Originally from Singapore, Tan learned to fly while attending boarding school in England. He went on to join the Singapore Air Force and flew rescue helicopters. Nowadays his rescue missions look a little different. He works with Pilots N Paws, an organization that matches aviators with animals in need of rescue from natural disasters or overcrowded shelters.
Tan is driven by his compassion for animals and flies to a new pet rescue every couple of weeks. He’s rescued mostly dogs but also 23 cats, three goats, a pig and a bat. His largest haul was a mother, her eight pups and another dog making ten animals in the plane. Tan has flown more than 200 missions to date, rescuing more than 440 animals and he does it all for free.
