A Milestone Flight for Angel Flight Australia
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 15 hours ago
Angel Flight Australia connects volunteer pilots with Australians who need non-emergency medical transport - often from regional communities to major centres for life-saving treatment.
This week, Craig Hobart, President of the Southport Flying Club, completed his 66th Angel Flight mission in his distinctive Cessna 337 Skymaster - a remarkable milestone of quiet, consistent service.
Craig shared the following after his latest mission:
“Today I flew to Injune to help a gentleman on his 60th Angelflight, a warrior fighting cancer for 9 years, very inspiring human. On my way back, I dropped into Darling Downs Aero Club always ready to provide a place to rest for Angel Flight Australia pilots and earth angels. It’s a community helping battling Australian’s. Highly recommend dropping in sometime for fuel or fellowship.”
His words capture what Angel Flight is truly about - not just aircraft and logistics, but people, resilience, and community.
Behind every Angel Flight mission is more than just a pilot and passenger.
It’s fuel stops.It’s regional aero clubs offering a cup of coffee and a place to rest. It’s volunteers coordinating schedules. It’s communities welcoming strangers who arrive carrying hope.
Through Craig’s 60 missions, Southport Flying Club members have indirectly supported:
Patients travelling hundreds of kilometres for cancer treatment
Families facing some of the hardest seasons of their lives
Regional Australians who would otherwise struggle to access specialist care
A nationwide volunteer network of pilots and ground coordinators
While these flights rarely make headlines, they represent hundreds of hours in the air and countless acts of generosity on the ground.
Why It Matters
Australia is vast. Specialist medical services are often concentrated in major cities, leaving regional patients with difficult choices and long, expensive travel.
Angel Flight Australia bridges that gap.
Each mission means:
One less financial burden
One less exhausting road trip
One more chance at treatment
One more story of dignity and support
Craig’s milestone isn’t just a number. It represents 60 Australians helped, dozens of families supported, and thousands of kilometres flown purely in service of others.