Testimonials

Absolute pleasure to fly this family home – salt of the earth hard working decent country people doing it very tough with a long battle ahead. After the flight, I said to my wife, “this is one of the best things I have ever done”, helping those who need it most.

I am proud to be part of a team that does so much for our fellow man. Having worked in Queensland hospitals for over 33 years, I understand the problems patients have to contend with - people at their most vulnerable state.

I was having a very hard time with my heart and they flew me from here to go to dialysis three times a week, and I would never have been able to get down there otherwise because it’s about four and a half hour’s trip from here to Brisbane where it’s forty minutes to an hour in the plane and I would never had been able to cope, so they really are angels to me. I hadn’t been coping very well with what was going on and being able to see the world from that blue sky is just amazing.

As a full-time single dad/sole carer/full-time worker, your service has relieved the drive and tension I get going to these appointments. The average I’ve driven is 8hrs one way, due to nappy changes, repositioning etc.

Micheal is a retired man who I recently diagnosed with a melanoma, he describes himself as a “simple bushie”, lives alone and had never flown in an aeroplane before and was terrified of going to Sydney for treatment. He was obviously also very stressed about his diagnosis. It has been extremely difficult for him to contemplate embarking on journeying to Sydney and receiving treatment. He went to Sydney with Angel Flight recently and with the help of ground volunteers and flight crew had an incredible experience, he felt so cared for and it was as positive an experience as possible. I am very grateful to you for giving him such remarkable support and allowing him access to the best possible care, we could not have got him to the hospital without you!

I just want to THANK the whole organization for the work you do assisting the regional families of Australia. I know that many of the children for which I care would not attend their appointments in Brisbane if it were not for the generosity of Angel Flight. The impact the flights have is immeasurable. Some of the benefits are that the child actually gets to see the specialist, it minimizes the time the family is split up, it decreases the stress and anxiety on other children while mum is away, it reduces the financial burden of costly travel and expensive food along the way, it reduces the depreciation of the family vehicle due to regular long trips and employment is maintained.

Very rewarding to know you’re helping people who really need it, while doing something you really love.

Thumbs up to Angel Flight. I am completely overwhelmed by the care and support the staff and volunteers show to their country cousins.

We arrived home safe and sound. Just wanted to say thanks again. It’s people like you and the pilot that make the world a better place.

Though I look pretty well, actually I am constantly deeply fatigued and to do the 4.5 hour trip each way by car would be quite beyond me at the moment. The flight and then the transporting service on the ground provided by the drivers make it so easy and efficient. Many, many thanks to you and those fine people who have looked after us.

The care and understanding from the wonderful pilots and drivers is fantastic, this is expressed on the faces of families when they talk about it, that nothing is a problem and how they were met by another person. Sometimes this is all that’s needed to make a person feel better about themselves. So thank you all for making my job that little bit more special. It helps to know that there is a service out there that is all about assisting the community.

In the past to travel from a remote outback town such as Wilcannia, there were too many obstacles and if often became “too hard”. So much so that people were very reluctant to attend any follow up appointments.

We so appreciate the effort made for us. This has been an eventful year for us and with the support of Angel Flight we have been able to make it through a little easier. I am so proud that there are people in the community that are willing to give up their own time and money to help families in need (such as mine). I tell everyone I meet of the wonderful work you do!! Admiration beyond words.

I would like to say a huge thank you to all the pilots and drivers that helped us out with the trips for my daughter Kyla. If it wasn’t for Angel Flight she would not have been able to have the operation she desperately needed. She had her operation and is now back to being a normal 5 year old girl. I don’t think I could ever thank you all enough.

The work that Angel Flight does needs to be recognised as the impact on our community in preventing breakdown by keeping families together and not letting them be crushed under the pressure that illness can bring. It is much more than a flight that is being offered.

I can’t begin to describe how big a difference that is for us, for my daughter more than anything, that she doesn’t have to face a 4-hour drive.

Angel Flight services have been invaluable to me during my struggle with cancer. I live in a remote area, twelve hours by bus from the necessary treatment. Without the help of this wonderful organisation my ordeal would have been a great deal harder to bear. I greatly appreciate what your volunteers did for me. Myself, my husband, neighbours and friends, will be forever grateful. An answer to my prayers!

A week before my operation in July, 2006, I had to see the surgeon who did my operation to make my legs straight. It’s a long way to Sydney and Graham (my pilot) took me the whole 400km, without a doubt. He landed the plane at Bankstown airport. Then he flew us back home in his beautiful little white Piper plane. I would just like to mention that without Angel Flight this would not be possible. Thanks Graham.

My husband and myself were flown home from Brisbane yesterday by your wonderful service. Our charming pilot was Ed, flying conditions were perfect and his flight plan took us right over our home. Susan, our driver collected us on time and got us to Redcliffe on time. What a wonderful service. We couldn’t travel by car for at least 6 weeks and then it would be an 8 hour journey. So we are very grateful to all concerned. Our Social Worker was most impressed and found your group pleasant to work with.

My name is Fran and I would like to thank you all for what you have done for our family. My husband Garry passed away in September last year after his battle with lung cancer. We very much appreciated what your pilots and ground crew did for our family. I remember when we arrived in Brisbane on one occasion it was a long weekend and the ground angel offered to find a shop so we could get some milk and bread as we only flew with essentials. Because I cannot drive long distances friends and family had to drive us to and from Brisbane as my husband was too sick to travel by bus. For the first 6 months of last year we would spend approx 10 days at home and then 10 days in Brisbane so it was a blessing to us to be able to access angel flight and take the stress off loved ones. As Garry got sicker it was also a blessing for him to only spend 1 hour in the air rather than 6 hours or more by road. The treatments at the Mater gave us more precious time with my husband and our children got to see him more because we were able to go home for that period of ten days between treatment.

To all of you who care so much. Thank you from the core of my being for being there to help my granddaughter and her little boy. They flew from Kempsey to Melbourne.

Just thought I would take the time to say a great big thank-you for our trip with you to Townsville today, which of course goes nowhere towards showing my appreciation. What a change from our normal scenario. Picked up at 8.45 and back at 2.30 same day. How good was that. I truly can’t say thank-you enough to Paul (our pilot) and the rest of the crew from Angel Flight. Somehow we went from one exhausted little girl (and Mum) after 3 days travel, to one who is still bright and bubbly ready to take on the world (and ready to face school tomorrow). As you know we have up until now been faced with a 13 hour return trip to Townsville for regular appointments and to somehow transform that into a 2 and a 1/2 hour return trip is just magnificent.

On behalf of the Mildura Base Hospital, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Angel Flight for their assistance in reuniting Wendi with her daughter in Queensland and arriving safely at the Nambour Hospital safely. Jenny was extremely impressed with the service and assistance the airlines gave and told us everything went without a problem. Never underestimate the joy and pleasure Angel Flight are able to provide to the many people who are in need of such a service.

Thank you so much for your assistance with this unfortunate young woman. Your ability to respond so promptly is greatly appreciated by the whole team here.

Just a brief note from Cameron & myself to say THANK YOU to Angel Flight for our recent trip to & from Sydney. Being able to access the drivers & small aircraft made Cameron’s trip a lot less anxious.The pilots were fantastic, such a smooth ride. We are very grateful for everyone who was involved in our trip & would just like to say THANK YOU.

I just wanted to say what an awesome organisation you have and what a huge difference these wonderful volunteers make to the lives of those who need it. My mother, Helen, has been lucky enough to catch flights to Toowoomba for her fortnightly chemo treatments and just cutting out those hours travelling has made such a difference. So a HUGE thank you to all the pilots, drivers and those involved.

My name is Barend and I am from South Africa. My little girl Idonette is one of the many people you currently fly to Melbourne and back. I am SO worried about her, and I can’t afford to come and visit her, but to hear what wonderful people in Australia are, gives me great comfort. So thank you very very much for your help and assistance!

We are extremely grateful for your support because we have had a terrible time this year losing everything in the fire at Wangary (Eyre Peninsula SA) as you may know we live at White Flat. Cassie was so pleased that you were with her (in Adelaide) as I couldn’t be there for her, we are so busy trying to rebuild and having stock getting on to the roads. Thanks again from the bottom of my heart your organization is brilliant.

I would like to say a big thanks for the help you provide to people in need. Without you it would make things so much harder than they already are. This was the first of possibly many flights for my son and I would like you to know that I am very grateful for Angel Flight. We have been travelling to Brisbane for 11 years now and the longest time between trips has been 6 months. It has been a very hard road but we have managed to get there and still be sane. (Well sort of).

My sincere thanks we are most grateful. Angel Flight is a truly wonderful organisation and your dedicated staff and volunteers are providing an incredible service, for our children and families who have such limited services in our isolated rural regions. Without Angel Flight many families would never receive the necessary treatments so vital to their every day lives, and ongoing welfare.Thanking you again.

Just wanted to write to you and thank you again for organising the trip to Sydney and back for the Glen Innes family. I know that it was a tremendous amount of work to arrange the pilots and their planes, etc. I thought that it was a nice touch sending me photos of the two pilots, which I copied in colour and gave to the family before their trip. The feedback that I got from Louise and Warren was very positive, even though they were both fairly nervous about the adventure. The entire service was very much appreciated. Please pass on my appreciation to the pilots and to the other staff members at Angel Flight. Everyone that I dealt with in regard to the trip was extremely friendly and professional.

Angel Flight has made such a difference to our lives and has truly touched our lives forever. Please accept my sincere thanks in all you have done for my family and especially for little Locky.

Little things happen each day and I really appreciate how people want to help. I’m overwhelmed that pilots are willing to use their own planes to make our journey so much easier. They are incredible.

I couldn’t believe it when I heard that this was happening. Angel Flight told us that not only were they flying the children to Brisbane, but they will drive the children from Archerfield to the Hospital. They are absolutely brilliant!

Thank you for all your work in making Monday go really well. The flight went well and it was great for Annabelle. We also really appreciated Richard driving us to and from Princess Margaret Hospital. It was an incredibly kind experience, to have people offer their services as they did on Monday. And it certainly made a difference for us.

It’s made the whole situation much more pleasurable and it’s just wonderful to think that people like Jack give their time and the use of their plane to do this for people like us.

Hassan had his operation late yesterday and it was a huge success. His wife Mary said he came out of recovery laughing and having a joke with staff. His spirits have been lifted enormously with having his children here. Thank you once again for all your assistance.

I’ve been feeling so lonely but now Angel Flight has changed this and I can’t find the words to describe what I feel and wish I could do something more to say thank you.

I would like to extend to all at Angel Flight Australia and to the drivers our thanks to those who so generously assisted our Inverell clients on their recent trip to Newcastle so that their infant son could undertake his 3 monthly specialists visits for his chronic lung disorder. The family are so very grateful for the wonderful assistance and support they received from everyone.

Today I caught up with our family from Cooktown. Can I just say a big Thank You on behalf of the family and others concerned for your wonderful support and professional handling of these difficult circumstances. It was a pleasure to work with you all and you certainly did a fine job. Thanks again to all concerned.

My mother came along (on our flights) and there was driver Graham who met us when we got to Sydney and took us to and from the hospital. Honestly, I would have been lost without them all and just want to say a very big thanks to Graham and especially to the wonderful pilots Steve and Shaun!

I just don’t know what to say to express our gratitude and appreciation for what you did for our son Luke this week. I was on the verge of desperation.

I have always taken the cheapest form of transport – not the easiest. So bus, train & ferry was always it. This was our first trip in any type of plane & it was magical.

Going home for Christmas has done wonders for Matthew and he is looking much better. His eyes have lit up and he’s smiling a lot more. This has made a big difference and has helped all of us face the next six months.

I can’t believe that someone would do this at this time of year, the pilot must have a very special heart to give up his time on Christmas Eve to help me.

The journey usually takes us about six hours by car which can be very tiring and difficult and on top of that we are now having car problems making it impossible for us to drive there. It has made such a difference to us I can’t thank them enough.

Travelling by air is so much better for Channae and I really don’t know what I would have done without the help of Angel Flight. The pilots are really special to dedicate their time to help people like us. We are ever so grateful and I know that others who have used this service also think they are wonderful.

Michael had an Angel Flight in June 2004 with pilot Michael from Wangaratta to Melbourne. Michael unfortunately passed 8 weeks after his flight. What the family would like to express is the thanks and gratitude to Angel Flight’s foundation. The amazing part of the process the ongoing support after the initial flight. . Although no-one could of foreseen the future, it was the positive encouragement from all of the people involved with organising his flight, that made Michael stronger within himself. Michael was a hard worker, never unemployed, with the disease came the loss of wages and the expenses of treatments. Michael was very concerned that living remote and no money would prevent him from urgent treatment. A proud man who never took charity from anyone, was touched by your organisation. Michael was full of praise to your empathic charity, and had he’d lived longer, would of helped in some way.