#135 Remote Rescues & Red Dust Runways. Meet RFDS Pilot Dave Rogers.

When Melbourne-born Dave Rogers first caught the flying bug as a teenager, he wasn't even sure where a pilot's license might take him. But after honing his skills and flight hours as an instructor - and then spending three years flying small aircraft over (and onto!) the most remote and treacherous landscapes of Papua New Guinea - today Dave is a highly respected RFDS Senior Base Pilot at Broken Hill, NSW. But what does it actually take to become an emergency retrieval pilot and what happens when things don't exactly go to plan? On his very first day in Broken Hill, after applying for the RFDS pilot role during Covid, Dave was called to fly out to a devastating fire at the Tibooburra hotel, where a gas tank explosion caused the historic Two Storey Hotel to set alight, injuring four people. But this was just the beginning of Dave's incredible outback adventure...***Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Flying Doctor Podcast. It is lovely to have you along on the journey with us. There has been some wonderful feedback from listeners about our podcast and the incredible people we have interviewed. Word of mouth is always the best promotion for a podcast – so if you enjoy this podcast, or a specific story, please share with family and friends. Reviews and ratings help our podcast to be found by others, so if you can take the time to do that it would be appreciated. You can also send feedback, questions or comments through to [email protected]. We'd also love you to become part of the Flying Doctor Podcast Facebook group, where passionate listeners and incredible outback communities come together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.