RAAF responds with Yasi Assist

Threatened with the onslaught of Cyclone Yasi, elements of the RAAF were on hand to assist residents in north Queensland, as four specially equipped aircraft of the Air Lift Group (ALG) evacuated a total of 173 Cairns hospital patients to Brisbane on February 1.

It was a night often filled with drama, suspense and fatigue, as RAAF personnel including pilots, ground crew and specialist onboard medical teams worked tirelessly to ensure the safe transport of all at-risk hospital patients to Brisbane. Faced with yet another natural disaster after only having recently participated in Operation Queensland Flood Assist, the ADF once again rose to the challenge in what would become a harrowing first few days for residents in Cairns and the far north.