Thirty-seven year old Georgina was diagnosed with a melanoma in 2006 which recurred in 2007. She has been in and out of hospital since Feb, with the shortest stay being 4 weeks. She is currently in Sydney having radio therapy which will continue for another 6 weeks. She is a full time carer of her mother and has a 9 year old son with behavioural difficulties. This Angel Flight was to return her home to see her family, as they were finding it extremely difficult to cope.
Gary Weeks - Pilot
Geoff Hobbs - Earth Angel
(Geoff's 37th Angel flight)
Angel
flight 1 by Gary Weeks
This is Gary's 24th Angel flight
Comment by Gary
"I had been a little busy on the day before this mission so unusually I hadn't contacted either of my passengers for the flight to Dubbo. On the morning of the flight as I was about to leave Camden and head across to Bankstown I rang our Earth Angel Geoff to let him and the ladies know that I would be across at Bankstown ready to go by about 1030am. Our planned departure time was 1100am but as it turns out Geoff was almost at Bankstown and would be there well before me.
Georgina and Anni
After a quick flight across to Bankstown I met Anni, Georgina and Earth Angel, Geoff. The Ladies were traveling very light today so not much luggage to load and after a couple of photos I got my passengers comfortable and we were underway.
Anni
It was very busy(APEC)at Bankstown today, and we were number three in the departure sequence, which meant that we waited idling on the ground for some 25 minutes before finally being allowed to depart. The departure just ahead of us today was another Angel Flight aircraft, a great looking TBM 850 from Melbourne who was heading for Merimbula.
Georgina was both excited and filled with trepidation, as this was her first ever flight in an aircraft. There was plenty of time on the ground before the departure for me to answer her many questions and to give details for our flight today.
As soon as we became airborne I could hear an excited Georgina in the back realising that we were now flying. I had planned to climb to 8000' for our flight outbound today. We entered cloud at about 5000' on climb with Georgina describing the inside of the cloud to being like a "Pea souper fog" which I thought was a very accurate description. As we approached 8000' we were still in solid cloud with some ice potential. A climb to 10000' was approved and we popped out of the cloud at about 9500' with Georgina commenting that the clouds look just like "Fairy Floss". I was even able to show her some of the Fairy Floss which was stuck on the windshield and leading edges before it melted away.
Once settled in the cruise it was great looking down at a full cloud cover beneath us. There was now time for me to get a cup coffee and biscuits organised for us all. It was a nice ride westbound today with just a few bumps as we descended back through the cloud on our descent into Dubbo. It was pretty rough in the circuit area with a 30 to 35 knot North Westerly wind blowing creating that mechanical turbulence.
The flight was enjoyed by all and after taking the passengers through to be met by waiting friends I headed back to Camden. I didn't even have to wash the bugs off the aircraft today as it got another high speed wash on descent into Camden."
This flight was done in conjunction with mission 2231
Angel
flight 2 by Rex Regional Express
This is Rex Regional Express' 239th Angel flight
Rex Regional Express - Pilot
P 02 6393 5550
F 02 6393 5599
Web site
Jane Braithwaite - Earth Angel
(Jane's 39th Angel flight)