Tigerair pilot Geoff Hucker has organised prizes of time in two aircraft simulators in a raffle sponsored by the charity he runs in his spare time, Beyond the Orphanage.
Beyond the Orphanage supports Ethiopian orphanages to place at-risk children with families to enable them to grow into self-reliant adults.
To help Hucker raise money, the RAAF has donated one hour in a BAe Hawk 127 simulator guided by a senior RAAF officer as first prize, and Ansett Aviation Training has matched that with two hours in an A320 simulator guided by Hucker himself as second prize.
The raffle was launched on 1 November and will be drawn on 20 December. It is open to everyone over the age of 13, but children aged 13-18 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.
The prize winners (and an adult if the winner is aged under 18) will be flown free from their local capital city airport to Sydney for the first prize or to Melbourne for the second prize, accommodated in hotels and, after their time in the simulator, flown home.
Tickets at $5 each, five for $20 or 20 for $60 are available at www.beyondtheorphanage.org/raffle.
Ethiopia has 4.5 million orphans. Some are cared for by their families when very young but have to fend for themselves as teenagers. Some become victims of prostitution or child labour, or starve.
Beyond the Orphanage has provided new lives for more than 1000 orphans by finding supervised foster homes in Ethiopia for them and financing all their keep, health care and education to degree or diploma standard.