John Howes, at the epicentre of one of the world’s most exotic and dramatic medical services, has managed to stay grounded in his work.
The senior base nurse at the Royal Flying Doctor Service, John has stared-down medical emergencies for decades in more than 8,500 flights.
The 68-year-old, father-of-three calls-up details of every incident by turning to his extensive diaries.
“My most interesting and memorable flights as an RFDS flight nurse, best described as ‘the flights that made me’, happened in the early years of my employment based at Derby in the Kimberley,” he said.
“These were the years when a seriously challenging flight that threatened your very existence was met with a slap on the back and a ‘she’ll be right, mate’ from Kevin, our fearless senior nurse.”
He said an encouraging remark from Kevin was enough to get him back on deck next day with a spring in his step.
“It suited me and I loved it. I was surrounded by a small team of skilled and fiercely independent flight nurses and five great pilots, that you wouldn’t dream of letting down,” he said.
Three memorable flights came in a rush that “cumulatively took a toll and taught me a bit more about myself.”
A King Air plane’s starboard engine burst into flame departing Derby, leaving a trail of thick black smoke.
“I checked out the pilot. He didn’t look all that concerned, so why should I be concerned? We still had one good engine and within 20 minutes he had us safely back on the ground.
“A slap on his back and a “well done mate” was the least I could do to show my appreciation.”
Only a few months later, John was sitting next to a King Air’s cargo door which swung dangerously open just after take-off.
“It was just after midnight with the sky full of stars. I sat there mesmerised by the stars and an eddy of notes that danced around the floor of the plane.
“In 10 minutes, my favourite pilot again had us safely back on the ground. Twenty minutes later he had finished his ciggie and, with a ‘she’ll be right, mate’, we were back in the air on our way to Broome.”
From another flight he described “the great escape that nearly ended it all.”
He said: “Not long after take-off, a young man with an escalating panic attack was up off the stretcher heading for the door.
“We spent the next 15 minutes embraced on the floor of the King Air until the pilot had us safely back on the ground.”
Melbourne-educated John, who joined the RFDS Victorian section in 1994, arrived in the Kimberley “on an Ansett flight”, with wife, Maree, and their Melbourne-born baby.
“We left seven years later with two Derby-born children and memories that still fuel much of our kitchen table talk,” he said.
John recalls flights from the RFDS base in Derby in two Super King Airs, fitted with Australia’s most advanced patient-loading system.
“Our team of five nurses, five pilots, two engineers and two in the office kept the show running. By 1996 we were amalgamated with other RFDS bases to form a network that covers the whole of WA,” he said.
John says it’s a privilege to work for the RFDS.
“Where else would I be called on to deliver a baby under the stars of a Kimberley night or transfer pregnant mums to safe havens where they can deliver their babies safely?
“Or marvel at the ingenuity of the stockmen who delivered their mate to the remote airstrip where my favourite pilot had just negotiated a tricky midnight landing under the guidance of vehicle headlights?
“The stockmen had secured their mate to a giant road sign to provide spinal precautions after he’d been thrown from his horse.”
Flights up the coast to the Buccaneer Archipelago were always scenic and adventurous.
“On one occasion I was asked to jump on an old seaplane and retrieve a young woman who had broken her leg after slipping on the deck of her yacht.
“After landing in sheltered bay, I clambered out and stood on the float of the plane thinking about crocs and the logistics of moving this patient from her yacht, anchored 30 metres away, to the plane.
“One thing was for certain: we would not be leaving without her. Somehow you find a way – that’s what my team expected of me, and that’s what I did.”
At home, John stays active, swimming most mornings.
“These days I’m based at Jandakot, a member of a team of more than 400 people. The two Super King Airs have been replaced and grown into a fleet of 22 Pilatus PC12s, three PC 24 jets and two helicopters.
“I still get to fly over the Kimberley in our jets but my favourite flight these days is a quick, late afternoon helicopter retrieval from Rottnest Island. Sunsets are optional.
“But I’m telling you, it’s just a job,” he quips.
