LifeFlight (Queensland)

RACQ CareFlight Bell 412 Rescue Helicopter, 2007

LifeFlight is an aero-medical charity headquartered in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Until July 2016, it was known as CareFlight, but was renamed to avoid confusion with the CareFlight organisation headquartered in New South Wales.

History

In 1981 the Gold Coast Helicopter Rescue Service was established on the Gold Coast by Ashley van de Velde to provide rapid rescue services on the Gold Coast beaches and hinterland via helicopter. In 1992 under the new name of CareFlight Group QLD Limited, the rescue services were expanded to cover southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. In 1993, the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland sponsored the service with naming rights so the service became known as RACQ CareFlight.[1]

CareFlight Group air ambulance (Bombardier Learjet 45) at Darwin Airport, 2010

In 2013 former Queensland Premier Rob Borbidge became chairman of Careflight.[2]

Clive Berghofer of Toowoomba has been a generous benefactor of the organisation. By 2014, he had donated $1 million over 10 years.[3][4] His contribution is recognised by naming the organisation's hangar at Toowoomba City Areodrome after him and the helicopter that operates from Toowoomba.[4]

On 11 July 2016, Rob Borbidge, chairman of CareFlight, announced that the organisation would be renamed LifeFlight to avoid confusion with a similar organisation CareFlight New South Wales. The organisation would be renamed LifeFlight. RACQ remain the major naming rights sponsor of the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter service.[5]

Services

LifeFlight are an Australian provider of Helicopter Underwater Escape Training.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Our History". LifeFlight. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  2. ↑ "Hon Rob Borbidge AO". LifeFlight. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  3. ↑ Katrina Strickland, 'Giving It Away: Clive Berghofer', The Australian Financial Review Magazine: The Wealth Issue, July 2014, p. 30
  4. 1 2 "Clive Berghofer honoured by CareFlight". LifeFlight (Queensland). 15 April 2014. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "CareFlight renames as LifeFlight". Australian Aviation. 11 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  6. ↑ "About HUET". LifeFlight. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.

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