Angel Flight

For the elderly it meant taking advantage of pensioner discounts on public transport and sitting on a bus or train for many hours.

Angel Flight was founded in April 2003 by Queensland’s 2005 Australian of the Year, Bill Bristow, who had learnt to fly in a Victa Airtourer from Brisbane Archerfield Airport in 1970. Now Bill holds turbine, multi-engine, fixed wing and helicopter ratings as well as glider and command instrument rating.

Today his organisation fills the vital role of putting patients in contact with pilots and coordinating the efforts of so called ‘earth angels’, the many volunteers that assist with ground transport and fund raising.

One of Bill’s doctor friends first raised with him the lack of specialist health services in rural hospitals and the ordeal that many patients faced in travelling long distances in order to receive treatment.

Clearly there was a need for a service where patients could fly between regional centres and major cities at little or no cost.

It was for this reason that Bill undertook a fact finding mission to the United States where he found several charity flight organisations helping the needy with free transport by using volunteer pilots and private aircraft.

On his return to Australia Bill undertook the lengthy task of getting Angel Flight established, including negotiations with CASA over the technical aspects of aircraft operations for such flights and getting sponsors onboard to help with establishment costs.

Importantly, CASA agreed that Angel Flight would not needs its own AOC (aircraft operator’s certificate), so that instead each flight is effectively classed as a private flight under the responsibility of the pilot-in-command.

Another distinction is that Angel Flight pilots do not carry aeromedical staff or medical equipment, so they do not act as an alternative to the RFDS or state air ambulance services.

Angel Flight’s first service took to the air on June 21 2003 following two years of hard work and dedication. From these small beginnings has grown a national charity which transports over 1600 patients, carers and family members a year, including some of Australia’s most precious cargo, sick children. Clearly there was a need for a service where patients could fly between regional centres and major cities at little or no cost.

Today Angel Flight has over 1800 pilots on its database flying all types of aircraft from Cessna 172s to executive turboprops. Angel Flights can be requested anywhere in Australia, while presently almost 50 per cent of flights take place in New South Wales with Queensland repre-senting 24 per cent, Victoria 22 per cent and the remainder across the rest of Australia.

Health professionals and patients request Angel Flights through the charity’s head office in Brisbane, which then posts details of the mission on the charity’s website. Volunteer pilots regularly check the mission board and once they find a mission that they would like to fly they apply online through the Angel Flight website.

Mission coordinators then place pilots and patients in contact with each other, arrange flight times and organise ground support from earth angels if required. Pilots and earth angels all donate their time and services free of charge, absorbing all costs associated with offering this unique and highly valued community service.

Airservices Australia has come onboard by providing pilots with a rebate on all aeronautical charges incurred when flying an Angel Flight mission, while Angel Flight headquarters covers the cost of fuel through a corporate sponsorship with Arcav Air Mobil and public donations.

These contributions help pilots and earth angels get patients to treatment, but donations are always welcome and earth angels regularly hold fundraising events as Angel Flight receives no government funding.

Due to the non-commercial CASA classification Angel Flight is currently unable to access existing patient transport subsidies, but management is hopeful that sometime in the future aircraft operating costs will qualify for tax deductions. As with most charities, cash donations over two dollars are tax deductable with a receipt.

Pilots range in age and experience, many hold private pilot licences, some are endorsed on both fixed and rotary wing aircraft, while others are career pilots flying for organisations like the Royal Flying Doctor Service and commercial airlines.

Angel Flight is always on the lookout for more volunteers including earth angels and pilots in major cities and country towns alike.

Registering is simple and can be done on the Angel Flight website or by phoning head office.

Helping out could be as simple as providing ground transport or holding a fundraiser at your local market or school fete.

Angel Flight’s busiest day saw 16 Angel Flights take to the sky on February 20 this year, which also happened to be the same day it operated its 5000th mission. With 30 per cent of Australia’s population living outside metropolitan areas the demand for Angel Flight services is only set to grow.

This year marks Angel Flight’s fifth anniversary, and is shaping up to be its busiest yet with over 2000 flights forecast. These angels are well on their way to becoming modern day saints.

Touched by an Angel

This writer was recently given the opportunity to fly on two Angel Flight missions to better understand how vital this volunteer charity has become to regional Australia.

Under clear blue skies I made my way to Bankstown Airport to meet Shaun Aisen who would be the volunteer pilot flying today’s Angel Flight missions. Shaun has been flying for Angel Flight for five years and was among the first pilots to volunteer their time and aircraft to make Angel Flight a reality.

In his day job Shaun is a director with Brisbane based Strategic Aviation. He is also Angel Flight’s highest time pilot with today’s missions bringing his total to 122. Shaun often flies between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for business and it is on these otherwise empty flights that he takes the opportunity to help those living in regional communities.

Today’s flying starts in Sydney and finishes in Melbourne with stops in Hay, NSW, and Robinvale, Victoria. What would normally be a direct flight for many business people is transformed into a vital link for two families living in regional Australia.

After meeting Shaun at the Bankstown Airport passenger terminal we didn’t have to wait long before today’s ‘earth angel’, Frank Mayr, arrives with our passengers. Frank, now retired, worked for Qantas for many years and volunteered as an earth angel to stay connected with aviation and also stay busy through helping others.

This year marks Angel Flight’s fifth anniversary, and is shaping up to be its busiest yet with over 2000 flights forecast.

Shaun and I load the aircraft while Kathryn and Mark Miller make final preparations for their seven month old son to fly. Baby Kristian was flown to Sydney nine days ago on another Angel Flight for medical appointments with specialists after receiving a cochlear implant.

Kristian, a bubbly and happy little boy, was diagnosed with severe hearing loss at birth and today is his tenth Angel Flight. Kathryn explains to me how important Angel Flight is, as without this service the family is faced withdriving two and a half hours to Griffith where they could then pay for and catch a Regional Express flight or drive the entire distance to Sydney, a trip of over 650km or nine hours on the road.

With Kathryn, Mark and Kristian ready to depart we all climb aboard the gleaming Socata TBM850, a pressurised turboprop single more often associated with business executives than medical transfers. After a preflight safety briefing Shaun taxis VH-SMZ to the threshold of Runway 11 centre for a Bankstown one departure. With the throttle open I begin to understand what Shaun has been telling me about . . . the Porsche-like performance of the TBM.

We rotate at 85kt and commence our climb at 1800ft/min at maximum takeoff weight. The TBM850 is impressive to say the least. Looking out from the cockpit one is greeted with the big PT6 turboprop engine pulling us through the air at 305kt, not bad for a single engine aircraft.

We depart Bankstown at 9:10am, and 15 minutes later and overhead Katoomba we reach out cruise altitude of FL260.

On our first ‘sector’ we track Bankstown, Katoomba, Cowra and Griffith, before descending to land at Hay, 316nm southwest of our departure point.

With our precious cargo asleep we commence our descent west of Griffith and with only one aircraft active in the Hay CTAF we are cleared to leave controlled airspace and make our approach. Having flown most of the flight under autopilot, Shaun takes over hand flying 5nm out.

With a slight variable crosswind, tending to a minor tailwind we float over the threshold of runway 22 and have a smooth touchdown with plenty of runway to spare.

You know you are at a country airport when tufts of dry grass roll across the runway and ramp area as we taxi into the awaiting smile of a family friend and disembark. Shaun and I unload the aircraft with Kathryn and Mark showing their gratitude in thanking Shaun for his generosity.

The TBM850 comfortably completed this Angel Flight mission in one hour and 15 minutes.

We climb back onboard Sierra Mike Zulu and takeoff for our hop to Robinvale on the NSW/Victorian border, and with less payload onboard the TBM850 is biting at the bit to go faster. We arrive after a short 29 minutes in the air.

After another smooth landing we taxi to the ramp where our next Angel Flight passengers are waiting for us. On our second Angel Flight mission for the day we are flying 14 year old Sione Vaioleti who requires eye surgery at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Sione is accompanied by his younger brother Andrew and his mother Hulita.

Today’s flight is the second time the family have flown with Shaun and their seventh Angel Flight in total. They will stay in Melbourne overnight and return to Robinvale tomorrow onboard another Angel Flight, turning what would otherwise be a full day’s travel in each direction plus a day for medical appointments into a comfortable overnight trip.

After another hot start we are airborne and heading south to Essendon Airport.

For this flight we cruise at FL270 and are cleared direct to Arbey, a waypoint 30nm north of Melbourne. Overhead Bendigo, air traffic control clears us to commence our descent. With runway 26 in use at Essendon Shaun requests a straight in approach for runway 17 which ATC promptly approves.

Shaun executes the best landing of the day and greases the TBM850 onto the tarmac. Following a short rollout we taxi to the Executive Airlines terminal via a very unique level crossing where a public road now crosses an active taxiway.

With his 122nd Angel Flight complete and another happy family, Shaun bids farewell to Hulita, Sione and Andrew, who are met by earth angel David Appleby who will complete this mission by delivering the family to the hospital.

With a commitment from pilots and earth angels around Australia today’s flights are a demonstration of how we can all give something back to the community while doing something that we all love so much . . . flying. o For further information on Angel Flight services, to volunteer your time or to make a donation, visit Angel Flights home page at www. angelflight.

org. au. The author would like to thank the families that allowed him to travel with them, Shaun Aisen for volunteering his time, and aircraft and the team at Angel Flight’s head office, in particular Terry McGowan.