A “roo run”, booties and the stories of those saved by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) were all part of the royal couple’s visit to the Dubbo base.
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The royal couple unveiled a Beechcraft King Air B350 propeller plane and celebrated the RFDS’s 90th year.
RFDS South Eastern Section chief medical officer Dr Randall Greenberg said he was honoured to have shown the couple the Dubbo base.
He introduced them to previous RFDS patients, including a young 15-year-old girl who RFDS treated after she suffered a head injury from a motorbike accident.
After meeting them, Courtney Sheil said: "(Meghan and Harry) were really glad I was okay.”
"They were amazing people and she was even more stunning in person," Ms Sheil said.
Dr Greenberg said the royals laughed when he explained the RFDS practice of a “roo run”.
“I had the great delight of explaining what a roo run is to their Royal Highnesses, the roo-run is when just before the plane lands someone actually has to drive along the airstrip to make sure there are no kangaroos,” he said.
- READ ALSO: Royals visit drought-affected farm in Dubbo
Dr Greenberg said he showcased the highly trained staff, their technology and services to the royal couple.
“For us, the royal visit is recognition of what we do and the people in the support group.”
RFDS volunteer Maureen Dempsey said the royal couple seemed “down-to-earth”.
“I knitted a pair of booties and she couldn’t thank me enough, Meghan said, ‘that’s the first pair of booties I’ve received’, she was very sweet,” Ms Dempsey said.
Three-year-old Bonnie Reynish captivated the royals on their way out of the hangar which came as no surprise to her mother Kate.
“When Campbell, my eldest son gave Harry some flowers, and Harry passed them back, she went and got them in a way of saying ‘no, no, no you don’t give them away’,” Ms Reynish said.
- Read more royal visit stories here.
RFDS volunteer Ellen Stanmore, who is known as the raffle queen among her fellow volunteers, wore a tiara for the event.
“It was wonderful, he [Prince Harry] just shook my hands and said, ‘do you wear that tiara everyday?’”
RFDS Dubbo-based director Terry Clark said the royal visit was “something you couldn’t put a value on”.
“It recognises everyone that touches the service with their support, whether it be a fundraiser or a raffle-seller.”
