EVERY week, volunteer pilots turn into ‘lifesavers’ to help those less fortunate in regional areas get the medical assistance they desperately require as part of the Angel Flight program.
Angel Flight assists patients who may be struggling financially to get to the city for their medical appointment or whose medical condition may make it painful or stressful to travel by car.
There are several hundred pilots in SA who donate their time to Angel Flight, from the 3500 registered Australia-wide.
Rizwan Motala, who works full-time at Adelaide Biplanes, Aldinga, as an instructor, is one of those pilots.
He has been volunteering for Angel Flight for almost a year, getting involved after hearing about the charity through a colleague, who was also an Angel Flight pilot.
“I like the travel to different areas of the state, and even interstate, and we get to meet some amazing people,” he said. “I’d encourage any other pilots to consider something like this, as it’s a rewarding experience.”
Angel Flight has operated out of SA since the initiative was founded in 2003, and the volunteer pilots make 10-15 flights a week in SA.
The pilots fly to and from any regional area in SA to Adelaide, with many from the Eyre Peninsula, South East and Kangaroo Island.
Patients are even flown to Melbourne, if the treatment they require is not available in Adelaide.
Volunteer drivers, called Earth Angels, are also provided to transport patients to and from the airport. There are 4500 Earth Angels registered across Australia, with almost 1000 registered in SA.
Kingscote resident Debra Hillier, who has used the service about four times a year for the past three years, said Angel Flight was a “lifesaver”.
“I used to come across to Adelaide on the ferry, with help from the government’s Patient Assistance Transport Scheme,” she said.
“But then the medication I was on was making me sick, particularly on the ferry.
“It got so bad that I thought I would have to stop going to Adelaide for treatment.
“That’s when someone suggested Angel Flight and it has been a godsend since.”
Not only is it better for Ms Hillier’s wellbeing, but flying saves significant travel time.
“Getting to Adelaide via the ferry used to take about five hours,” she said.
“Angel Flight takes about a half an hour to get to Adelaide from Kingscote and then an Earth Angel picks me up to take me to the hospital.”
- Details: angelflight.org.au
Alisha Fogden
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
