THE Royal Flying Doctor Service received an early Christmas present last week, taking delivery of a new $7m Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.
The Swiss-built aircraft will go into operation as a flying intensive care unit, giving the RFDS greater scope to deliver its services across the Limestone Coast and throughout South Australia and Northern Territory.
It is the latest major investment for the service, funded through corporate support, sponsorships, fundraisers and community donations.
Its arrival comes as the Limestone Coast community rallies behind the RFDS in its bid to construct a $500,000 patient transfer facility at Mount Gambier Airport – the first of its kind in regional South Australia.
RFDS executive general manager Charlie Paterson said the new aircraft was “a Christmas gift to the community from the community”.
“The RFDS relies on fundraising and donations to replace our aircraft so we cannot thank the community enough for delivering the ultimate gift to the flying doctor,” he said.
“This aircraft will airlift two patients in need every day for more than decade, be it the outback retrieval of a critically-ill patient or the urgent aeromedical transfer of someone from a regional or remote centre to a city hospital for life-saving or higher levels of care.
“At a cost of $7m ready to save lives, I cannot think of a better return on investment.”
It will take around five weeks to medically-equip and convert the aircraft into a RFDS flying intensive care unit – a task that will be undertaken by the engineering team at the RFDS Adelaide Base.
It will be in the skies saving lives by late February.
The new plane will replace an older aircraft in the fleet nearing 15,000 hours of aeromedical service to the community.
