Royal Flying Doctor Service facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Royal Flying Doctor Service

Abbreviation	RFDS
Predecessor	AIM Aerial Medical Service
Established	15 May 1928; 97 years ago (1928-05-15)
Founder	John Flynn
Founded at	Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia
Type	Not-for-profit organisation
Legal status	Charity
Headquarters	Canberra, Australia
Region served	Australia
Services	Aeromedical retrieval Primary care
National Board Chair	Tracey Hayes
National Deputy Chair	John O'Donnell
Affiliations	Six autonomous regional divisions and a national office

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), often called the Flying Doctor, is an amazing air medical service in Australia. It's a not-for-profit group that brings urgent medical help to people living in far-off parts of Australia. Imagine needing a doctor or hospital when you're hundreds of kilometers from the nearest town! The RFDS makes sure these people get the care they need, flying them to bigger hospitals if necessary. They also offer regular health services like doctor visits, mental health support, and other health care to remote communities that don't have easy access. The RFDS is made up of six independent regional groups and a main office in Canberra.

The Inspiring History of the Flying Doctor

The Flying Doctor at Connellan's airstrip in Alice Springs (Mparntwe), around the 1960s.

John Flynn's Vision for the Outback

A kind minister named John Flynn saw how tough life was for people in Australia's remote areas. In 1912, his ideas led to the creation of the Australian Inland Mission (AIM). Flynn dreamed of a "mantle of safety" – a way to provide medical care to everyone, no matter how isolated. In 1928, his dream took flight with the AIM Aerial Medical Service, which later became the famous Royal Flying Doctor Service.

The Challenge of Distance: Jimmy Darcy's Story

One of the De Havilland DH.50 planes flown by Qantas, used as an air ambulance, delivering a patient to Brisbane in 1931.

Flynn often shared stories to show why this service was so important. One sad story was about Jimmy Darcy in 1917. Jimmy was a stockman working far away in Western Australia. When he became very ill, his friends took him on a long, 12-hour journey to the closest town, Halls Creek. There, the postmaster, who had some first aid training, tried to help. He desperately tried to contact doctors by telegraph, eventually reaching one in Perth. The doctor guided him through a difficult procedure using basic tools. Despite everyone's best efforts and the doctor traveling for 10 days to reach him, Jimmy sadly passed away before the doctor arrived. This story showed Flynn and his team just how much a fast, reliable medical service was needed in the outback.

Combining Flight and Radio for Remote Care

An early AIM [Aerial Medical Service] AMS radio in Alice Springs.

Two new technologies helped Flynn make his dream a reality: airplanes and radio. In 1917, a pilot named Lieutenant Clifford Peel wrote to Flynn from France during World War I. He suggested using planes to reach isolated patients. Flynn loved the idea and shared it widely. Sadly, Peel died in combat, but his idea lived on.

Flynn also worked with Alfred Traeger to develop a special radio system. In the mid-1920s, they created the "pedal radio". This amazing invention allowed people in remote stations and missions to talk directly to a medical base. Imagine pedaling a bike to power your radio and call for help!

The first experimental air medical flights began in 1926. In 1927, an injured miner was flown by air from Mount Isa to Cloncurry. By May 15, 1928, Flynn had raised enough money to officially launch the AIM Aerial Medical Service. Qantas, a new airline at the time, provided the first plane, a De Havilland DH.50 named "Victory." Just two days later, on May 17, 1928, the first official flight took off from Cloncurry, piloted by Arthur Herbert Affleck. It flew 85 miles to Julia Creek, where over 100 people gathered to see it land.

How the Flying Doctor Helps Today

The AIM Aerial Medical Service Building in Alice Springs.

The dispatch service building in Alice Springs.

In its first year, the service flew about 20,000 miles, making it the world's first complete air ambulance. Even through tough times like the Great Depression, the Flying Doctor kept going. Today, the RFDS offers many vital services:

• Emergency Flights: They respond quickly to accidents or sudden illnesses.
• Patient Transfers: Moving patients who need to go from one hospital to another for more specialized care.
• Road Ambulances: In some areas, they also use special four-wheel drive vehicles for transport.
• Telehealth: Doctors are available 24/7 by radio, phone, or video call to give medical advice to people in remote areas.
• Health Clinics: They fly doctors, nurses, and other health experts to remote communities for regular check-ups and health services. These clinics cover general health, child and maternal health, mental health, dental care, and more.
• Support for Doctors: They help other doctors in rural areas with advice and communication.
• Education: They offer training and scholarships, including for midwifery.

Funding and Community Support

The RFDS gets support from the Australian government, but it also relies a lot on fundraising and donations from the community. These donations help them buy and equip their aircraft and fund other big projects. This community spirit has been a key part of the Flying Doctor's success since the very beginning.

Clever Innovations: The Medical Chest

A sign on the Eyre Highway indicating an RFDS emergency airstrip ahead. There are three such strips on the highway.

Nurses, sometimes called "Flying Sisters," have brought many great ideas to the service. Sister Myra Blanch, a pioneer in the 1940s and 50s, helped create an important addition to the RFDS medical chest in 1951. This was a "body chart" – a drawing of a human body with numbered areas. This chart made it much easier for a remote doctor to ask a patient, "Where does it hurt?" and get a clear answer. The medicines in the chest are also numbered, making it simple to follow medical instructions.

How the Service is Organized

The RFDS is made up of seven different groups that work together. These include a national office and six regional sections like Central Operations, Queensland Section, and Western Operations. Each section manages its own finances and daily activities, but they all work towards the same goal: helping people in remote Australia.

Bases Across Australia

Royal Flying Doctor Service hangar, Broken Hill, New South Wales.

The Flying Doctor operates from many bases, health centers, and offices all over Australia. These bases are where the planes are kept, and where doctors, nurses, and pilots are ready to go. Some key bases include:

• Central Operations: Adelaide, Alice Springs, and Port Augusta.
• South Eastern Section: Broken Hill, Dubbo, Launceston, Essendon, and Sydney.
• Victoria Operations: Bases across Victoria, including Essendon, and over 100 road ambulances.
• Queensland Section: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Roma, Charleville, Longreach, Mount Isa, Rockhampton, and Townsville.
• Western Operations: Broome, Kalgoorlie, Meekatharra, Perth (Jandakot Airport), and Port Hedland.

Some older bases, like the original one in Cloncurry, have moved or closed as the service has grown and changed over the years. The newest base opened in Broome in 2016.

The Flying Doctor's Aircraft Fleet

A Pilatus PC-12-45 used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

A Pilatus PC-24 jet named "Ningaloo" from the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

A Look at the Aircraft

The RFDS has used many different types of aircraft over the years. The very first plane in 1928 was a de Havilland DH.50. Over time, they used various de Havilland models, then Beechcraft and Cessna planes.

Since the 1960s, the RFDS has owned its own aircraft and employed its own pilots and engineers. Today, their fleet mainly includes the Pilatus PC-12, Pilatus PC-24 jets, and Beechcraft Super King Air planes. In 2022, Western Operations also started operating two Airbus EC145 helicopters for shorter flights around Perth.

Why Pressurized Planes are Important

Many of the RFDS planes, like the PC-12, PC-24, and King Air, are "pressurized." This means the air inside the cabin stays at a comfortable pressure, similar to being at sea level, even when the plane flies very high. This is super important for patients who are very sick or sensitive to changes in air pressure. Pressurized planes can also fly above bad weather, making the journey smoother and safer for everyone on board.

Current Fleet (as of March 2023)

An Airbus EC145 helicopter landing on Royal Perth Hospital.

By 2021, the RFDS had received all four of their Pilatus PC-24 jets. These amazing jets can carry three stretcher beds and two seated patients. They fly much faster than propeller planes, cutting travel time in half, and can even land on unpaved runways!

Advanced Medical Equipment

The RFDS planes are like flying hospitals! They carry lots of modern medical equipment. This includes special machines to help patients breathe (ventilators), monitors to check vital signs, devices to give medicine, portable ultrasound machines, and many types of splints and other tools. This ensures patients get the best possible care during their flight.

Amazing Facts and Figures

A memorial to RFDS nurse and pilot, Robin Miller Dicks, the "Sugarbird Lady," at Jandakot Airport.

The RFDS is a huge operation! According to their 2015/16 Annual Report, the service owned 67 aircraft and operated from 23 bases with 1,225 employees.

Every single day, on average, the Flying Doctor:

• Travels 73,554 kilometers by air.
• Performs 211 landings.
• Helps 800 patients (through clinics, transport, or telehealth).
• Transports 177 patients.
• Conducts 254 telehealth sessions.

Connecting Kids: School of the Air

For many years, the School of the Air used the same radio equipment as the RFDS to connect students in the outback with their teachers. This allowed kids living in very remote areas to get an education. Now, with the internet, things have changed, but the connection between these two vital services was once very strong!

People Who Made a Difference

Many incredible people have been part of the Royal Flying Doctor Service's story:

• Arthur Affleck: The very first pilot for the service.
• John Flynn: The visionary founder.
• Robin Miller: A famous nurse and pilot, known as "The Sugarbird Lady."
• Alfred Traeger: The inventor of the pedal radio.

Recognising the Flying Doctor's Legacy

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is a cherished part of Australian history.

• The first two hospitals in Birdsville are recognized for their historical importance.
• In 2009, the RFDS was named one of Queensland's "Q150 Icons" for its amazing innovation.
• In 2011, the Queensland Section was honored in the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame for its huge contribution to health in rural Australia.

See also

In Spanish: Royal Flying Doctor Service para niños

• Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (a similar service in Scotland)
• Emergency medical services in Australia
• Air medical services