Angel Flight

[Paint The Sky Pink!]

Hi all,

I have been following Bill Brsitow's Angel Flight for some time and have not really done anything about signing up. However I have just spent some time with a good friend who used the Angel Flight service for her daughter who was terminally ill.

My friend said to me "I don't know what country people did before Angel Flight?" Her daughter did not fit into the 'RFDS / Air Ambulance' catagory.

This really hit home to me after speaking to a friend who has needed this service. We have just signed ourselves up to Angel Flight and now look forward to a mission.

I encourage all of you to have a look at Angel Flight and see how you can help this wonderful service!

Cheers,

PTSP!

[Desert Flower]

Her daughter did not fit into the 'RFDS / Air Ambulance' catagory.

Yep, that'd be right. They can cart around the indigenous population who have b****r all wrong with them but they can't fly a kid who is dying. It sucks, bigtime! :*

DF.

[SkySista]

Agree, this organisation is doing a fantastc job and needs more support. Was Angel Flight week a little while back, though was disappointed to see the telelvision station ran the ads late (at least in WA)

Cleaning out the car and house the other day saw me with a heap of gold coins found under seats and so forth, did a quick whip round the fam and said coins will be off as a donation. Planning to do this periodically with any of the coin shrapnel that gets lodged in purse. Hardly miss it and helps a good cause.

Why not pass a hat round work today, even ten or twenty bucks can help... same goes for RFDS.... yep the systems may have flaws but hey some system in place is better than none.

Cheers to you guys and gals giving up your time, skills and planes! :ok:

Sky

[Paint The Sky Pink!]

I am an extremely strong supporter of the RFDS. Have a friend who flies for them out of Dubbo. They are a fabulous organisation
:ok:

When my friends daughter died, Angel Flight flew both mother and daughter home. It was a very very sad journey. She said she cannot begin to thank the organisation enough for the care they showed. This why I came home and said to my husband, we have to do this!

At the funeral, donations were asked to be made to Angel Flight.

Cheers,



PTSP!

www.angelflight.com.au (http://www.angelflight.com.au)

[hurlingham]

Desert Flower

Unfortunately in your area the RFDS are tasked by NT Health doctors.

The RFDS crews would love to do a lot of the tasks done by Angel Flight ( who do a fantastic job) but the tasking authority say no.

[Desert Flower]

The RFDS crews would love to do a lot of the tasks done by Angel Flight ( who do a fantastic job) but the tasking authority say no.

Yes, I realise it's not the fault of the pilots & I wasn't knocking them. I have some very good friends who fly for the RFDS & I have nothing but admiration for the work they do. But the "tasking authority" needs a good swift kick as far as I'm concerned. I saw an instance many years ago where two RFDS Chieftains were sent to pick up one indigenous male with a broken arm. At the same time a friend's daughter who was only a few weeks away from delivering her second child was expected to either catch a bus or fly down to Adelaide on the commercial flight. If they were allowed to the pilots would have willingly taken her, but they couldn't without the say so of the tasking authority.

DF.

[BeerMan]

I happen to have a flown a number of Angel Flight missions. I am currently a private pilot and budget to fly a certain amount of hours per year. I allocate a handful of these to Angel Flight.

While I like nothing more than taking a few friends for a fly up the coast for a weekend away, it is nowhere near as fulfilling as helping somebody out who is doing it really tough.

The people at Angel Flight are amazing and they have done a great job to harness support for their cause. I would encourage anybody to register to help. If you cannot afford to donate flying time, that's fine. They arrange people to drive these people from the hospital to the airport for instance. And I know I have taken an "Earth Angel" for the flight. They dropped the people off, and asked if he could come for the ride. It was actually a big help!

So there are all kinds of things you can do. Give them a yell and see what you can do to help.

[SkySista]

onya BeerMan :ok: not every private pilot would give up those hard-earned hours (cash) like that...

Know some high school/TAFE students who had/ have to do work experience as part of their course, I have been suggesting they call up Angel Flight, RFDS or similar and offer their time & services....

Hopefully when I get some time later in the year I can do the same!!! :D

[Freedom3]

Angel Flight pilots fly with a real purpose. Check out some pilot feedback recorded on the Angel Flight web site.

http://www.angelflight.org.au/newsletters/DEC04_FEB05/fromthecockpit.html

Hats off to the Angel Flight pilots - you're all heros.:ok:

[Time Bomb Ted]

Yeah 3 thumbs up for Bill and the organisation he has built. The Angel Flight TV ad nearly always brings a tear to my eye. Very well done.

My organisation supports them every year with an anonymous donation.

Keep up the good work Angel Flight.

TBT

[AT502]

Bill Bristow................. Australian of The Year????



AT502 :ok:

[Duff Man]

Bill was 2005 QLD'er of the year and missed out on the national gong to Fiona Wood.

There was a story on ABC's "Talking Heads" a few weeks ago. Transcript at the following link.
http://www.abc.net.au/talkingheads/txt/s1398986.htm

Hats off to the pilots, such a generous personal contribution. It's been a pleasure to meet some of you as a YSBK Earth Angel :ok:

[SkySista]

missed out on the national gong to Fiona Wood

Well at least he didn't miss out to a sportsman! :}

Here's fingers x'ed for this year!

Agree, the TV ads are very well done!

[Woomera]

They're welcome here anytime they need support.

Truly what the brotherhood of pilots and aviation is all about.??

BeerMan
While I like nothing more than taking a few friends for a fly up the coast for a weekend away, it is nowhere near as fulfilling as helping somebody out who is doing it really tough. good onyer and yet another way of bringing aviation, positively, into the community.:ok:

I found out the other day that a mate of mine, as a volunteer, drives one of those golf carts around the local big ass hospital complex, delivering the less ambulatory from here to there. Apparently there is a waiting list to be a driver. It's really great and humbling that there are people like you and him around. :D

[cleatus]

I work for a regional airline in NSW who is an active supporter of Angel Flight. Almost 12 months ago we took a sick young boy & his family to Sydney. It was great to be able to provide a service to this family in their time of need. The First Officer & I were pleased to be part of this awesome service. I look forward to participating in more Angel Flights with the airline.

[Islander Jock]

I've got an Angel Flight gig on Monday, wx permitting, to pick up an elderly gentelman from Merredin to Jandakot for treatment at SCGH.

I was disappointed to learn that Mobil have offered a generous discount on fuel for AF missions but Air BP does not appear to have followed suite. Guess who is the main supplier of Avgas at Jandakot :(

[SkySista]

Onya, Islander!!! :ok:

Hope all goes well and skies are blue :D

Hmm... pity about the fuel bizzo... perhaps a friendly word with the refueller, he may 'forget' that last ten or twenty gallons that went in the tank.... :E

Jokes aside, I reckon a quick call to AirBP at JT may do the trick... they'd have to be heartless not to sort something for ya...

[Islander Jock]

G'day Sis,

A quick calculation and I reckon I could land at YPPH, take on the fuel used for the mission with Mobil and the saving would probably cover the landing fee :}

[The Voice]

Good onya IJ .. I'm flying the flag over here for them as well! :)

[the wizard of auz]

good onya IJ. I was putting me hand up for that one, but if you have it covered i'll wait for the next one they send me.
(Pst, can ya lend me a cab fare while ya gone :} ;) )

[colonel hannibal]

Was browsing the REX websites, including "media releases. it seems that they are having a open day at Parks airport this weekend and doing joyflights to raise money for angelflight.
Hope they raise some money and good on em.

rex open day (http://www.regionalexpress.com.au/corp_info/ShowNews.aspx?nid=35)

[dude65]

It's frustrating for a new PPL like myself that I can't do Angel Flights due to the 250 hour minimum. I could easily afford to do 2 a month.

Must be plenty of people like myself who need to log PIC time and then spend most of that time tooling around the country doing bugger all. I would be great experiance, and also give you the warm inner glow that burning fuel for the hell of it can't do.

[SkySista]

dude, not sure if the hour requirment only refers to pilots flying, but you can register to be an Earth Angel or a flight assistant in the meantime... surely they'd love someone to help with charts and so on?? :)

[Bevan666]

Today I was scheduled to perform my 4th and 5th angelflight missions. Got up this morning and some lowlife scumbacg has stolen all my flying kit from my car....

:mad: :* :sad: :yuk: :(

Bevan..:

[busconductor]

I've been a great supporter of Angelflight since day one. It is by far the best way I can think of of contributing to society while having fun and the response from the people you fly is the most satisfying achievment I have had in a long flying career.

The 250 hours PIC requirement reflects that of Angelflight in the US. Angelflight here operates on a private basis to avoid the complexity of acquiring and retaining an AOC - this was done on the advice of someone high up in CASA. However the reputation of the charity is important and the 250 hours requirement is meant to be one way of contributing to a high standard of operation.

As for fuel, what is probably not known is that there are other heros to thank. The Mobil fuel rebate is thanks to Aero Refuellers in Albury who do all the administration for Angelflight. This is no mean task and very much appreciated by the Angelflight community.

[Freedom3]

G'day Islander Jock: congrats on the first flight :ok:

Re the fuel discount: You probably know now that it's Angel Flight that actually subsidise 50% of the fuel costs not Mobil. They do that through an Angel Flight / Mobil carnet system. Mobil give a 6 cents per litre discount and Aero Refuellers at Albury manage the carnet system.

Did you get a discount from Jandakot Refuellers in the end? I know that Angel Flight have been waiting on an answer from them - geez they're only asking for 6 cents per litre discount :{

btw: If you fly into YPPH on a mission flight landing fees are waived :=

http://www.angelflight.org.au/html/feewaivers.html