Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section)

It was wonderful to welcome Andrew Willcox MP, Federal Member for Dawson, Nick Dametto, Member for Hinchinbrook, Natalie Marr MP GAICD, Member for Thuringowa, Adam Baillie MP, Member for Townsville, Janelle Poole, Member for Mundingburra and Joe McCabe, CEO Townsville City Council to the Townsville Base this morning for a tour. This base continues to play a pivotal role in delivering services to the Townsville region, transferring more than 2,200 patients in the last financial year alone. It was fantastic to have our dedicated Townsville team on hand to showcase the incredible work they do every day delivering the finest care.

A huge congratulations to RFDS (Queensland Section) Board member Russell Postle, who has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division on the 2025 Australia Day Honours list. Russell’s incredible dedication has driven many initiatives, including our 10-year funding agreement with Queensland Health and our Towards 100 strategy. His leadership continues to shape the RFDS and support communities across Queensland. From the furthest corners, we are proud to celebrate this remarkable accomplishment!

Yesterday we had the pleasure of celebrating our longstanding partnership with Brisbane Airport Corporation at Skygate DFO. Shoppers were given the opportunity to tour our iconic RFDS Aeromedical Simulator, mingle with staff and enjoy a gold coin donation sausage sizzle thanks to support from Woolworths Supermarkets. On average, our RFDS crew land at Brisbane Airport approximately 10 times a day. We are so grateful for this partnership that helps us to connect regional, rural and remote communities to the finest care. #RFDSQld #BrisbaneAirport #BNE #DFO

The installation of Starlink satellites across remote clinics, the RFDS Cairns Base and on the Mobile Dental Unit has supported the growth of our service delivery. Read more here 👉 https://ow.ly/PEyX50Un9z1 We continue to strive to find innovative ways to improve and grow our services across Queensland.

We're committed to sustainability and reducing emissions, which is why we're excited to have joined the Hydrogen Flight Alliance (HFA) this year. Peter Elliott, Executive General Manager, Aviation, Engineering and Logistics is looking forward to working within the alliance. “Exploring various initiatives to reduce our aviation emissions, such as hydrogen propulsion, may assist the RFDS (Queensland Section) in enhancing our climate-related sustainability performance while continuing to deliver the highest quality healthcare to those communities who depend on us," Peter said. “Membership with the HFA is one avenue towards future-proofing components of our organisation and as we approach our centenary, continues our commitment to innovation in aircraft technology.” Find out more about the Hydrogen Flight Alliance here - https://ow.ly/akcw50UrvHS

We're excited to announce Wendy Sheehan, a photographer and grazier from Western Queensland, has been named the 2024 Outback Explorer Competition winner and has been awarded $10,000, courtesy of Elders. Read more: https://ow.ly/gqQW50UtOCw The competition was launched in partnership with Elders, to celebrate our organisations shared history and mutual connections with regional, rural and remote communities in Queensland. Entrants were asked to create and share a short video to showcase what they love about our state. 📸 Wendy's video 'Wonderful Western Queensland' creatively profiled her family's life at Trinidad Station, a 250,000-acre property located north-west of Quilpie, and what she loved most about living and working in the outback. Thank you to everyone who supported this initiative and to our panel of judges including Oli Le Lievre from Humans of Agriculture, Natalie Flecker from Outback Queensland Tourism Association and The McEachern Family, who won last year's competition. #RFDS #Elders #OutbackExplorerCompetition

It was exciting to have the RFDS Mobile Dental Unit open to the public for the first time at DFO Brisbane, thanks to Brisbane Airport Corporation! We were thrilled that some of the QCoal Group and QCoal Foundation team were able to visit the RFDS Mobile Dental Unit! As a Founding Partner of the service, QCoal has been proudly supporting the RFDS in Queensland for over a decade, bringing essential dental care to rural and remote Queensland communities. A special thank you to the Woolworths Supermarkets Skygate team for generously providing fresh fruit and bottled water. It was a successful morning showcasing an essential service we provide to Queensland communities.

It has been an exciting couple of months at the Aeromedical Training Academy in Bundaberg! We are proud to share that two RFDS Pilots successfully completed the inaugural B360 Type Rating course. This rigorous four week program, equips pilots with the comprehensive knowledge and hands-on expertise needed to operate the B360 aircraft confidently and safety. The required 20 hours of simulator training is designed to provide pilots with real-world scenarios where they can apply their theoretical knowledge to successfully overcome challenges.

Since 2019, the RFDS (Queensland Section) has supported 22 registered nurses to gain midwifery qualifications through the RFDS Midwifery Scholarship, generously donated by the Dalara Foundation and Maureen Stevenson. Read more: https://ow.ly/ueSm50UnWI9 As part of the scholarship, nurses receive up to $10,000 to pursue the midwifery qualification required to become a RFDS flight nurse and deliver essential healthcare and midwifery services to families living in regional, rural and remote communities. If you are interested in taking the next step towards becoming a flight nurse, visit the RFDS website for more details. Applications for the 2025 RFDS Midwifery Scholarship close on 15 December.

We are excited to announce that RFDS (Queensland Section) was awarded the State Fundraising Team of the Year and Best Transformational Gift for our RFDS Aeromedical Training Academy in Bundaberg at the Queensland Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) awards last week. It's an honour to receive recognition for the Aeromedical Training Academy, a project made possible through support from the Australian Government, QCoal Foundation, Bundaberg Regional Council and all our generous donors and supporters. These awards are testament to the passion, dedication and work ethic of our Fundraising and Philanthropy team who actively collaborate with communities to provide opportunities to support the Service. Every dollar we raise goes towards making a positive impact to regional, rural and remote communities in Queensland. #RFDSQld #fundraisinginstituteaustralia #fiacon2025 #FIAawards