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WORK EXPERIENCE Over the years Geraldton Air Charter has been actively in many community programs. Our company has always welcomed work experience students including students from Christian Bros Agricultural School, Tardun, Strathalbyn Christian College, Wesley College in South Perth, Swinburne University of Technology in Victoria and the University of Reunion Island. A student from Geraldton Senior College undertook work experience with us during 2009 and was from the Warlugurra Walgamanyulu Program for Indigenous students at the College. Korii came to GAC after attending the careers information day held here in April and compiled the video below about that day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTo7CegHp3k COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Wendy Mann is a member of the Mid West Community Liason group for Crosslands Resources , major Iron ore miners and exporters of the Mid West and travels to various locations in the Mid West with representatives of Crosslands Resources. GAC was a sponsor for Oakajee Port and Rail's first GOODHEART exhibition of Mid West Aboriginal Art held in Perth in 2008, and is the proud owner of Ros Kelly's original painting "MIning Remains" which was shown in the 2009 Exhibition. OPR is an associate company of Crosslands Resouces and is the appointed developer of the Oakajee Port and Railway line which will be built in the Mid West in the near future.
DAWN TO DUSK In August and September of 2009, Wendy Mann assisted Marion McCall, fellow member of AWPA in the 2009 Dawn to Dusk Competition. Marion has twice previously won the Dawn to Dusk competition and had been planning her re-enactment flight of the First Air Mail flight between Geraldton and Broome for over nine months. Marion was prevented in getting away from Bunbury for almost a fortnight by very inclement weather and so could not proceed with the flight which had to be completed by August 31st. Wendy stepped in to participate in the acceptance of letters from the Year 4-5 students from Geraldton Grammar School, and also to present the letters received from Year 4-5 students at Broome Primary School.   WESTERN BARRED BANDICOOT (WBB) In September 2009, five Western Barred Bandicoots were transported from Faure Island in W.A. and released into a pen in the Main Exclosure at Arid Recovery. With a requirement to transport the WBB's to the facility at Olympic Dam within one day it was going to be a tight schedule to meet. Having ferried the Beechcraft Bonanza to Shark Bay Airport the evening before, giving us more time to prepare the aircraft for the following day's long journey. In the early hours of the following morning, an alternate aircraft was used to obtain the five WBB's and the two wildlife officers, from Faure Island to Shark Bay Airport. Once landed the two wildlife officers and the WBB's were transfered to the waiting Beechcraft Bonanza for the long journey to Olympic Dam. With a flight time of 8 hrs and 30 mins the flight took off, stopping at Kalgoorlie- Boulder and Forrest for fuel, before landing well before last light at Olympic Dam, South Australia. It was a short break before we and many interested members of the Arid Recovery team took off to the Reserve to release the WBB's. Arid Recovery is the only place outside of Western Australia where WBB’s are found. There are now an estimated 70 individuals at the Reserve and there is a program to help stimulate breeding, using water. The program has so far been very successful with females bearing their second litter of young in the first season of the trial. The Western Barred Bandicoot has been released to other areas of the reserve and plans are underway to source more Western Barred Bandicoots from other sites to expand the genetic stock and increase the viability of the population. A project Geraldton Air Charter looks forward to take part in. 
Geraldton Air Charter Pilot, Nathan Turner, releasing a Bandicoot after their long journey from Faure Island, Western Australia.
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