The mission description from Angel Flight was:
SUBSEQUENT TRIP REQUEST : (5th Angel flight)It normally takes the family about five hours to drive to Brisbane. By aeroplane this is reduced to one hour.A 6 month old baby has had a feeding button inserted during a previous operation for a tumour which has unfortunately proven to be unsuccessful.
This trip is for her to have it removed and a new feeding button inserted. An Angel Flight will help reduce the stress and discomfort for the family that a long road trip would entail.
While there was nary a cloud in the sky, visibility on the way north was nonetheless quite restricted due to smoke from bushfires.
Having had to battle some traffic on the way to the airport, I only arrived at Mundubbera at 4pm - our scheduled departure time. My welcoming committee consisted of Montenna, her mum Wendy, dad Dale and her 3 year old brother Weston. Also in attendance were her grandparents.
I did the usual battle trying to install the baby capsule in one of the rear seats and then loaded the two bags into the back.
Weston was most interested in the aeroplane, so I showed him the cockpit after completing the loading. He was, however, more taken by the newly sprayed tar and rolled on split rocks on the movement area. Poking the fingers into that seemed to be very satisfying. Ahhh, the pleasures of boyhood. Dale did his best to avoid tar stains being put all over VH-FWL
Farewelling the family, Cindy and Montenna climbed aboard, and we were soon on our way, taking off at 4:30pm
Visibility was still pretty poor, but this time, flying away from the sun, it was possible to discern some of the terrain below.
About half way through the trip at 9,000' the smoke abated and we were afforded nice views of the Glasshouse Mountains, Bribie Island, Moreton Bay and Brisbane. Despite the heat of the day, flying conditions were quite smooth all the way to Archerfield, where we touched down at 5:35pm, and, after a short taxi got out to stretch our legs.
A minute or two later reliable Earth Angel Sue Stubbs ambled across the tarmac, but this time without Angel Puppy. She took Cindy and Montenna into her care while I busied myself putting the aeroplane to bed.