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Category: Charities
The Royal Flying Doctor’s Service has been providing health care to outback Australia for 80 years. This non-profit organisation services the most remote and rugged areas of Australia. Aside from providing 24 hr Emergency Assistance, The Royal Flying Doctors also provide Services including routine health checks and advice, immunisation, child health care, dental, eye and ear clinics. The Royal Flying Doctors attend to an average of 665 patients per day, travelling over 21 million kilometres per year and ensuring that no Australian community is more than 2hrs from medical care. Although they receive some federal funding, The Royal Flying Doctors rely on community support to buy, fit out and run their extensive aircraft fleet. Each aircraft costs $7million to bring into service.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service is a charity I feel strongly about because of personal experiences a few years ago while learning to fly at the Rockhampton Areo club. Next to the Rocky Areo clubhouse was the Royal Flying Doctors hangar. When I wasn’t learning to flying I’d often be chatting with the king air pilots and helicopter pilots who were some of the most generous people in this world. They were also a great source of advice as these pilots had thousands of hours under their belts.
It was talking with these pilots that I began to understand the services the Royal Flying Doctor Service provided and how they were largely operated by donations alone with no government assistance.
I recall one occasion with my flight instructor when we were watching a mini cyclone approach the Rockhampton Area and we were saying how lucky were that weren’t caught in the weather system. Literally seconds after we made that comment, the doors on the Royal Flying Doctor hanger begin to open and the staff began to push out the helicopter. The helicopter crew were going up as there had been a terrible car crash on the outskirts of town. These guys courageously got the helicopter going and then took off. I couldn’t believe it. To put it into perspective I was afraid to drive my car let a lot fly in an aircraft.
About 9 months later the pilot who took off that day in the weather was killed attending another car accident. He died doing what he loved doing, flying and helping people. What a great guy. There are hundreds of people that work for the Royal Flying Doctor Service saving lives every day.
Make a donation to the Royal Flying Doctor Service so they can continue their great work in the rural areas of Australia.
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