00:01On the day baby Archer was born, it was care flight that came to mother Ali's aid, delivering
00:07the baby while in transit from Catherine to Darwin.
00:11Once we arrived here at the hangar then I got into an ambulance to be taken to the hospital
00:16and that was the craziest part, like we were just, you know, going around roundabouts and
00:20going around corners and then Archer came out and then had to hold on to a baby as we're,
00:25you know, driving through the streets of Darwin and it was wild.
00:27After medical complications and an unexpected early labour, she says she'll always be grateful
00:32for the midwife she met on board.
00:34I just felt grateful that she knew what was going on. She, you know, I'd had a baby before
00:39but it's very different when you're in that environment and she just guided me through it all.
00:45It's one of many stories to come out of CareFlight's 20 years in the Territory. What started in 2006
00:50as a single jet delivering patients in and out of Australia now encompasses a fleet of aircraft
00:56servicing the communities all across the Top End.
00:59As far down as Lajumanu, across to Borralula, up to the Tiwis, I've been across the Kununurra
01:06and everywhere in between.
01:08But it's far from a solo operation. Employees saying they wouldn't be able to do what they do
01:13without specialised teams like those in remote Aboriginal health clinics.
01:17They ensure that that first care that the patients get is done so very well and it really sets the
01:24patient up for us to come along and retrieve them. So without that, certainly some of the patients in
01:30these remote communities would not be here today.
01:33As for the future, expect to see the current fleet expanded and updated to reduce the amount of time
01:39spent maintaining and repairing.
01:40It's really important that progressively over the years you're continuing to refresh your fleet.
01:47So you're getting newer aircraft that require less maintenance.
01:51You're bringing new helicopters in that require less maintenance and that way you can do more.
01:57Hoping for another 20 years of life-saving aid and life-changing moments.
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