General
19 June, 2025
Team Tait Auto Group are at it again
Raising funds to assist the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Seven years ago, Lindsay (Red) Johnstone (Ingle wood) received a phone call from David Tait (Goondiwindi) asking if he would like to go on a trip of a lifetime, in an Outback Air Race raising money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Red accepted the challenge and in 2018 flew out of Brisbane in David’s plane, bound for Broome in WA via Bundaberg, Long reach, Mt Isa, Katherine and Kununurra. That year they raised $61,000 with the help of Tony Joseph who was originally supposed to go on the flight.
In 2022, they competed in the Outback Air Race again, which started in Darwin and took in the Gulf of Carpentaria and most of Eastern Queensland before finishing in Coffs Harbour. That year they raised $106,000 for the RFDS. Collectively the 30 planes in the race raised a total of $750,000.
They have decided once again to enter in the 2025 Outback Air Race, and will head out of Goondiwindi on the 19 August bound for Uluru, which is where the race starts, taking in parts of the NT and then down the coast of WA finishing in Carnarvon. With 40planes in the Race this year the target is $900,000.
With your help Red and David hope they can help reach this target. All money raised through donations or raffles etc goes direct to the RFDS through their account. Donations are tax deductable and recognised on the donations page.
The trip is self-funded and therefore all expenses (fuel, accommodation etc) are shared between the two men.
The air race is a time trialled event, and not a race as such. Although David and Red keenly participate, their navigational skills are not that brilliant, so their primary focus is raising money to keep the RFDS in the air, to provide medical aide to outback Australia and beyond.
As the participants travel around, they meet many people who have been cared for by the RFDS and understand what their organisation represents.
Of course, they also have a bit of fun, meet new friends and take in some magnificent scenery on route to their destination.
Although they have never won the race, Red and David have managed tow in the award for the most amount of money raised in the previous two races.
Donations can be made via a QR code on business cards which are available at the MacIntyre Gazette in Texas, Inglewood Bowls Club and various locations in Goondiwindi.
A Bowls Day has also been organised in Inglewood on the 19th of July. Allan (Alfie) Langer will be in attendance, so come along, meet Alfie or put a team of four in for Bowls. There will be raffles and auctioning of memorabilia, a BBQ and music.
Thank you in advance. David Tait and Lindsay (Red) Johnstone
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