Mission 2010 - Archerfield to Chinchilla

Background

On Thursday the 12th of July 2007 I flew Mission 2010, making it my 66th Angel Flight.

The mission descriptions from Angel Flight was:

SUBSEQUENT FLIGHT REQUEST:

sixteen year old girl from Chinchilla who had a failed kidney transplant and is now back on home dialysis. However she still needs to receive medical treatment at the PA Hospital?s Dialysis Unit (Brisbane) three times per week.

Angel Flight will assist the family and fly this young girl and grandmother twice per week while she makes the lengthy trip via road with her mother once per week.

Kayla is a regular with Angel Flight and has had to suffer my flying skills (or, more precisely, the lack thereof) on numerous previous occasions: Unlike the last trip, I endeavoured to get them to Chinchilla this time round and not drop them off somewhere near Oakey.

Leg 1: Archerfield to Chinchilla

This time the forecast was for ten eighth of clear sky. And going out to the airfield proved the weathermen to be correct.

I was half way through the pre-flight when Kayla and Pam walked up. They hopped in once I had finished and, being seasoned travellers, were in their seats and buckled up before I was.

The flight out to Chinchilla at 8,000' was nice and pleasant, with hardly a ripple in the air. So after a little less than one hour's flight I had the only challenge: A robust fifteeen knot crosswind. But, soon after closing my eyes, having pointed the spinner somewhat in the direction of the wind and waiting for the inevitible crunch, I was surpised to feel the aircraft rolling along quite nicely along the strip.

As we taxied off the runway Kayla filled in her logbook, noting down yet another impact with terra firma and, immediately after shut-down, both Kayla and Pam alighted, and waved good-bye.

Leg 2: Chinchilla to Archerfield

So a mere two minutes after arriving, I was taxying out again, lined up and blasted off to the east, arriving after a little under another hour's flying at Archerfield with the sun just starting to settle on the horizon.

Summary

I was back on the ground in Archerfield after having