Vittoria Lane has a passion for animals.
She’s a third-year veterinary student at Iowa State and plans to pursue a career as a small animal surgeon.
Vittoria Lane also has a passion for flying.
The St. Louis native had always wanted to learn how to fly. Patterson Hall, home of the College of Veterinary Medicine, is beneath the flight path into the James Hermann Banning Municipal Airport in Ames.
“I would hear and see all the small planes in the sky, and I figured there had to be a teaching program around here,” Lane said. “I called the Ames airport, went on my discovery flight and fell in love with flying.”
Combining her love of flying with her love of animals – now that was a bit of a challenge.
That is until Lane learned about Pilots N Paws.
Pilots N Paws is a charitable organization who through the help of volunteer pilots, transport and help save rescue animals. Earlier this semester, the Iowa State veterinary student learned about a rescue mission that would combine her love of animals and flying.
The rescue mission Lane flew on was the largest “FlyWay” rescue in the region with 101 dogs saved from euthanasia. The dogs were in St. Louis and were scheduled to be delivered to Minneapolis in a two-day turn around.
Bad weather in Minneapolis caused a change of plans, requiring Lane and her flight instructor to do a “turn and burn,” an eight-hour trip from Ames to St. Louis to pick up two dogs and then onto Minneapolis before returning to Ames the same day.
“I can’t describe the feeling I had of listening to the many pilots on the radio stating their positions as they were coming into the airport in Minnesota, knowing we were all doing this for the same reason,” Lane said. “After we landed, we unloaded our dogs and were able to see all that were rescued that day.”
All told, Pilots N Paws rescued 71 dogs in one day (the other 30 were taken by ground transportation).
“It was an exhausting day, but truly an unforgettable experience. I’m so happy that so many dogs are going to find their forever homes and that the aviation community came together to change so many lives,” she said.
Two years ago, this wouldn’t have been a possibility. Although she always wanted to learn to fly, it took a move to Iowa State for that to become a reality.
“I felt like the opportunity to learn to fly just presented itself,” Lane said. “The Ames airport is so close and has a great flight school, so I couldn’t say no.”
Lane started her training at the beginning of her second year of vet school and is still in training to get her private pilot’s license. Having soloed for the first time a year ago, she has completed most of her flight requirements.
But vet school has taken more of a priority.
“When I was consistently training, I flew on weekends,” she said, “but I always prioritized studying for classes during the week. I would reward myself with a couple flight hours on the weekends.
“Flying gives me a healthy break from the rigorous academics of vet school. Learning something that’s entirely different from veterinary medicine gives me a mental break while still being productive.”
And count on Lane to do Pilots N Paws in the future.
“I’m able to fly a plane, so why not combine that passion with the love I have for animals and make a difference in their life,” she said. “It was an unforgettable memory for me, but a start of a new life for those dogs rescued that weekend.”
March 2026
