Prince Harry and Meghan have heard just how important the Royal Flying Doctors' Service is to rural and regional Australia from some of the people who have been saved by them in almost impossible circumstances.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, in Dubbo on the second day of their visit to Australia, unveiled the RFDS fleet's newest plane.
The team of doctors said meeting Prince Harry and Meghan was a welcome change of pace.
"I explained to them some of the equipment we take on our retrievals and they were really interested in it and the amount of things that we can do in pretty much a hospital environment," Doctor Shannon Townsend told AAP.
She said the couple was "lovely" describing them as "very personable, easy to talk to - beautiful people".
Fellow doctor William Ibbotson said having the royal couple visit would deliver an invaluable boost to the RFDS.
Former and current RFDS patients and children from nine different schools in region were among the crowd gathered at the hangar to meet the royals.
The duke and duchess met repeat patient of the service, Carol Pennell, now in her 70s, who in 2014 was stranded in Hungerford, a seven hour drive with 200km of poor road conditions.
Supporters group member Barara Howells said the couple told them, "It's lovely to be here. There's a big community spirit here".
Harry and Meghan dedicated the new Beechcraft King Air B350 propeller plane to the Dubbo & Region Supporters Group.
The group raised the money for the local emergency retrieval transport to mark the 90th year of the RFDS, which was given its royal charter by the Queen in 1955.
The royals mixed easily with locals who said they were very laid back.
"I didn't even think about curtseying," Melissa Storer said
Her daughter, three-year-old Keiley, whose life was saved by the RFDS when she was eight weeks old, had a tender exchange with the duchess.
When Keiley shyly handed over a posy of gerberas and daisies, Meghan asked "would you like one back?" and returned a white flower.
Meghan then asked the little girl, "would you like the big pink one?" and Keiley, whose father is RFDS patient transfer officer, Christopher Storer, cried briefly, saying, "oh no, my posy".
Australian Associated Press
