Who is Transported?
Angel Flight have conducted over 20,000 flights transporting approximately 60,000 patients, carers and family members.
- Patients of all ages needing medical treatment at destinations where other forms of transport are physically and emotionally taxing or unaffordable
- Blood and blood products
- Medical drugs
To meet our guidelines, passengers must be medically stable, ambulatory and physically able to enter and exit a small aircraft and sit up in the aircraft with a seatbelt on for an extended period of time, Angel Flight encourages a friend or relative to travel with the patient.
How is the Service Accessed?
Health Professionals (eg, medical practitioner, nurse, social worker) who have a good knowledge of the patient’s medical condition are the only people from whom Angel Flight can receive and accept ‘mission requests’.
Who Does the Flying?
Flights are conducted by volunteer pilots in their own aircraft. Angel Flight operates Australia-wide with a growing network of pilots and aircraft. Volunteer pilots come from all walks of life and donate their time, their skills and most of their aircraft costs* for each flight. Our volunteer pilot flight credentials exceed the requirements of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for the carriage of passengers, and the aircraft meet specified CASA and insurance minimums. Pilot registrations exceed 3,000.
Our Ground Volunteers
Angel Flight’s ground volunteers provide car transportation between the city airports and medical facilities (or nearby accommodation).
It can be a great support to the passenger to have a friendly face waiting to meet them at the airport. These wonderful volunteers help as drivers, and also as speakers and fund raisers. Volunteer driver registrations are over 4,500.
How is Angel Flight Australia Funded?
Angel Flight is funded by private donations from individuals, clubs and service clubs, companies large and small and deceased estates.
Angel Flight has no budget for fundraising and does not engage commercial fundraising or marketing agencies to fundraise on our behalf.
Donations are used to pay for:
- Fuel used in the conduct of Angel Flight missions
- Discounted commercial flights when poor weather prevents light aircraft from flying
- The Angel Flight Support Centre which runs on a very small infrastructure, with four mission coordinators and two administrators as full time paid staff.
Angel Flight is an exceptional charity in that it does not have a fundraising department and only spends about 15% of revenue on administrative overheads like rent and telephone charges. Approximately 85% of revenue is spent on the actual coordination and delivery of its service.
Who is Behind Angel Flight Australia?
Established in April 2003, Flight Australia is the initiative of Bill Bristow AM, an experienced businessman and pilot, and proud winner of the Australian of the Year Award – Queensland 2005. In 2009, Bill was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for service to rural and remote communities through the establishment of Flight Australia and as a supporter of charitable organisations.
