Did you know that most of our Aircrew Officers are dual qualified – meaning they can not only operate the winch on our helicopters, but also help our RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Critical Care Doctors, Flight Nurses and QAS Flight Paramedics rescue patients!
Shayne White is one of our ACOs, based out of our Bundaberg base, and knows all too well that life can throw you a curveball any day of the week. Here’s what he had to say when we caught up with him for a chat:
LFA: Firstly, can you tell us who you are and what you do here at LifeFlight?
SW: My name is Shayne White and I am an Aircrew Officer at the Bundaberg base.
LFA: How long have you been at LifeFlight Australia?
SW: I’ve been here more than six years! Time flies!
LFA: What’s your favourite part of working here?
SW: The unknown. Here in Bundy, we cover a large area, from the countryside to the coast, which means we have some of the most diversified missions of any rescue helicopter base in the country. From helping our regional hospitals with transfers to landing in paddocks on farms, we get everything from snake bites, broken bones, and machinery accidents to road crashes.
We also cover the coast from North of Noosa to just south of Gladstone, including all the islands in between so some days we’re landing on beaches and the next operating the winch over a cliff. We also take part in search and rescue missions, whether that’s a missing person, someone lost in the bush, a swimmer out at sea or a vessel in distress. This can all happen anywhere up to several hundred kilometers offshore and I guess that’s what I like, the unknown.
LFA: What’s something that would surprise us about your role?
SW: The variety. Like I said, you never know what’s going to come up when you’re on shift!
LFA: Who or what is your strongest influence?
SW: My family. Having not come from much, proving to my kids that you can do anything if you put your mind to it and helping people is awesome.
LFA: What energises you at work?
SW: Coffee! Always coffee.
LFA: Where would we find you outside of work?
SW: Usually around the water somewhere, having a swim, surf or stand-up paddle boarding or playing around in my boat.
LFA: What one superpower would you want to have?
SW: Teleportation. My kids live at either end of the country so being able to see them whenever I wanted would be great.
LFA: Best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
SW: I got this one from my time in the Military which I’ve passed onto my kids, ‘Deeds not words’.
LFA: What can’t you live without?
SW: Air!
Thank you, Shayne! We couldn’t do what we do every day without our team. If you’d like to give to LifeFlight to keep our crews in the air, please click here.
