Prince William at the RFDS Cairns Base
In recognition of the work done by the RFDS during Cyclone Yasi, Prince William took the time to visit the RFDS Cairns Base during his tour of the disaster-hit north. Accompanied by Premier Anna Bligh and Major General Mick Slater, Prince William spent 45 minutes at the base meeting RFDS employees and their families.
Prince William and Premier Anna Bligh meet a patient evacuated by the RFDS during Cyclone Yasi.
As a keen aviator himself, Prince William was given a tour of an RFDS Beechcraft King Air by Nurse Manager Katherine Isbister, Senior Pilot Mick Porfiri and Senior Medical Officer Dr Charles Ellis. Inside the aircraft, the RFDS team talked with Prince William about life as an RFDS pilot, nurse and doctor and what it was like to provide vital health care to those living in rural and remote areas.
“Prince William was very interested in hearing about the services we provide, our aircraft, aspects of how the aircraft fly and landing on dirt airstrips in the Outback,” said Mick Porfiri.
After meeting a former RFDS patient, a mother and her twins who were evacuated by the RFDS during Cyclone Yasi, he was introduced to a large number of RFDS Health staff who actively assisted in the evacuation of the Cairns Hospitals before Cyclone Yasi and health staff who went immediately afterwards, into devastated areas. Many of these RFDS staff were the first health professionals on the ground in some of the areas that Prince William had just visited to see the devastation first hand.
“It was an honour for the RFDS Cairns Base to host a visit from Prince William,” said Cairns Base Manager Mike Lacey. “The Prince was very interested in hearing about the services provided by the RFDS and took the time to speak with as many RFDS employees as possible. Fond memories of Prince William’s visit will remain with me forever.”
To see more photos from Prince William’s visit to the Cairns RFDS Base, visit our Flickr page.