Toll Aviation pilots Adrian Bielenberg and Dan Fitzpatrick, World Fuel sales manager Brayden Kettle and Ambulance Victoria Shepparton senior team manager Trish Myers check out the new fuel tank.
Photo by
Monique Preston
The work of air ambulance pilots at Shepparton has been made easier with fuel for their planes and helicopters now available from the local airport.
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In the past 12 months, there were 342 fixed wing air ambulance flights into Shepparton.
That’s an average of one nearly every day.
In that same amount of time, 375 people have been transferred out of Shepparton, and 19 brought back to Shepparton.
Until now, there had not been a jet fuel tank available at Shepparton, meaning that at times it had limited the air ambulances’ capabilities of getting in and out of the airport.
Air Ambulance Victoria fixed wing senior team manager Toby Guthrie said previously, on days of inclement weather, planes might need more fuel to get to Melbourne, thus making it harder to land in Shepparton where fuel was not available.
One of the air ambulance planes that will now be able to fuel up in Shepparton, from the new jet fuel tank to the left of this photo.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
One of the issues is that where fuel is not readily available, the planes have to carry extra fuel with them.
“These flights include the full spectrum of patient acuity, from specialist non-urgent care in Melbourne right through to the transport of specialist medical teams to assist with the transfer of critically unwell babies, children and adults,” Mr Guthrie said.
Until now, the closest fuel for the air ambulances was at Mangalore Airport.
World Fuel sales manager Brayden Kettle said the new tank held 28,000 litres of fuel and would be available not only to air ambulances, but also the fire helicopter, police aircraft and other private jet owners.
On average, an air ambulance plane flies into Shepparton Airport almost every day.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
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