gistfile1.as

class Image extends Sprite {

    public var path:String;
    public var bitmap:Bitmap;
    public var onLoaded:Bitmap->Void;
    private var _loader:Loader;
    /* take a path and a callback to be called when the image is loaded:
     var i = new Image('/some/image.png', function(b:Bitmap){ 
                    // do something with b  or b.bitmapData...
                    trace('image is loaded');
              });
    */
    public function new(path:String, onLoaded:Bitmap->Void=null){
        super();
        this.path = path;
        this._loader = new Loader();
        this._loader.load(new URLRequest(path));
        this.onLoaded = onLoaded;
        this._loader.contentLoaderInfo.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, onComplete);

    }

    private function onComplete(e:Event) {
        // access the data as  Bitmap
        this.bitmap = cast(this._loader.content, Bitmap);
        this.addChild(this.bitmap);
        this.onLoaded(this.bitmap);
    }

}