Careflight Bell 230 VH-XCW Passes Through Roma and Longreach Airports on Delivery to NQ Rescue Mount Isa

Following the merger between the locally-based North Queensland Helicopter Rescue Service (NQ Rescue) and the CareFlight Group Queensland at the start of July, Careflight Bell 230 helicopter VH-XCW arrived into Mount Isa on Tuesday 4 August after completing a ferry flight from Archerfield via Roma, Charleville and Longreach Airports.

Aaron Coghill / http://www.flickr.com/

http://www.facebook.com/RACQCareFlight/

Interesting to read that NQ Rescue commenced operations in 2007 and over this time has helped hundreds of critically ill and injured patients who are often in remote areas in North-West of our State.  NQ Rescue had until recently been operating a Eurocopter BO105LS A-3 VH-XRQ which was on lease from the Perth-based Heliwest Group.

Aaron Coghill / http://www.flickr.com/

Another positive outcome of the merger with RACQ NQ Rescue is a new working relationship with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) in Mount Isa.  The RFDS have reportedly offered shared hanger space and office facilities at their base in Mount Isa.

CareFlight’s new Mount Isa base has a service region that covers over 500,000 sq km – 23% of Queensland. This region encompasses the local Councils and Shires of Burke Shire, Carpentaria Shire, Mount Isa, Mckinlay, Dimantina, Boulia, Cloncurry, Richmond/Hughenden, Winton/Longreach and out to the Barkly Regional Council in the Northern Territory.