The Insurance Companies will be the main influence on the government agencies - no matter what statistics say or indicate - and we all agree that accidents will happen no matter what. Stats and trends help to make management decisions but are tools and simply assist in the process. The Insurance industry has the ability to shut down any industry or endeavour if they don’t like what they see so clearly they don’t agree with the ATSB and consider AF as safe enough for their purposes.
On the face of it I would suggest that a 400 hr pilot with a Class 2 Medical would have the skills and ability to provide this service for AF. I would also suggest that, by that stage, he/she would also have had plenty of previous experience of opting for prudence by making decisions that would disappoint others.
AF is an incredible organisation from a regional Australian viewpoint. Their critics appear to live in metropolitan areas and may have difficulty in understanding the impact of a 16/20 hour car journey undertaken on a frequent basis. The people that use their services are, by definition, resident in regional areas and some actually do drive 8- 10 hours on a fortnightly basis. These patients don’t have to avail themselves of an AF but they continue to do so and only then on medical advice. I also suggest that the vast majority do so because a stressful visit to a specialist that may have taken a number of days is, in some cases, reduced to a day out allowing them to sleep in their own bed that night.
Angel Flight is a true Australian icon and embodies the true essence of “Care in the Community”. It is not above criticism but when the alternatives are considered it stands up to scrutiny. I’m quite proud to be involved with their endeavours and long may they continue.