Our speaker Rodney Richards spoke to us about Angel flights.
In 2003, Bill Bristow started a not for profit charity in Brisbane. His vision was to establish an organization which provided free flights for residents in remote and rural communities, who need non-emergency medical transport. As there are no medical people on board, patients and carers are required to be ambulatory. Earth Angels, of whom there are four hundred, meet the pilots and transport patients and carers to the location, and then return them to the same location for the trip home.
There are many compelling stories associated with this non profit organization. For those of us with the advantage of having medical and other facilities close to us, we need to understand the tyranny of distance. Quite recently, during the border closures between Queensland and New South Wales, a young patient and her mother, who were unable to travel via normal transportation, were offered the services of Angel Flights. Those who experience this service are grateful for their compassion and provision of transportation.
This emergency medical transport for rural people in Australia relies solely on donations. Eighty-five percent of funds raised goes towards fuel. There have been 45000 flights since 2003, although the number of flights has been impacted by Covid restrictions affecting State boarders.
Rodney, himself a private pilot of some thirty years standing, presented us with a magnificent picture of what can be achieved with a single vision and the application of co-operation with passionate pilots, earth angels and other volunteers.