Royal Flying Doctor Service WA expands Medevac Service

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Royal Flying Doctor Service WA expands Medevac Service

Article supplied by RFDS.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Australia (RFDS WA) has expanded its aeromedical retrieval capabilities through a new partnership with PHI Aviation.

This collaboration extends RFDS WA’s offshore medevac services to support client operations in the Bonaparte Basin.

Key highlights of the expanded service:

  • A dedicated doctor and paramedic/nurse retrieval team stationed at PHI’s Darwin base.
  • The team provides rapid medical evacuations for critical cases in remote offshore areas, and search and rescue operations.
  • This builds on RFDS WA’s medical evacuation services from PHI’s Broome base.

The partnership with PHI strengthens RFDS WA’s position as a leader in remote healthcare, serving the world’s largest and most remote health jurisdiction. It also generates additional revenue through a profit-for-purpose model, supporting RFDS WA’s mission to provide vital medical services to our communities.

RFDS WA conducts over 10,000 aeromedical retrievals annually, and this extension enhances our capacity to save lives in even more remote locations. The collaboration with PHI Aviation opens doors for potential partnerships with other companies operating in the region, to further extend RFDS WA’s reach and impact.

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A day in the life with the Flying Doctor: Jessie’s bite-sized experience

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A day in the life with the Flying Doctor: Jessie’s bite-sized experience

Article supplied by RFDS.

After spending a decade as a dental hygienist in a previous life, Jessie Burling was given the chance to go back to her roots with the RFDS Oral Health team.

As part of the RFDS’s national partnership with HCF, employee Jessie Burling won the unique opportunity through an internal competition at the not-for-profit health fund, joining the RFDS Oral Health team during a clinic in the remote town of Andamooka in Far North SA.

For Jessie, the experience with the RFDS was not just a professional milestone – it was a deeply personal journey, blending her passion for dental health and volunteer work in remote areas, including communities as far afield as Nepal, with her commitment to improving healthcare access in underserved regions.

HCF employee Jessie

Photo: RFDS national partner HCF’s Jessie Burling.

A personal journey into the outback

Jessie’s adventure began with a flight from Adelaide to Olympic Dam, before a short drive to Andamooka, a small outback town, located in Far North South Australia around 600 km north of Adelaide.

This is the journey the RFDS Oral Health team have to make, along with more than 350 kilograms of dental gear, when delivering care to remote communities like this.

Upon arrival, Jessie found the RFDS team busy setting up over 3,000 pieces of dental equipment, preparing to deliver much-needed care to local residents. For Jessie, who worked for 10 years as a dental hygienist, this was a rare opportunity to see the stark contrast between her role at HCF’s Bondi Junction dental clinic and the challenges faced by the RFDS team in the outback.

“When you’re living this far away from a city and you end up with an abscess or an infection in a tooth, that’s something that, if we weren’t coming in, could turn quite life-threatening,” of the RFDS SA/NT Senior Dentist and Manager Oral Health Program, Dr Vaibhav Garg said.

“We’re really focusing on prevention. There are direct links between oral health and other serious conditions like diabetes, cardiac health, and kidney disease. All of these issues can be challenging to manage in remote areas like this. Delivering these clinics is about taking care of the person as a whole, and therefore the whole community.”

RFDS Senior Dentist

Photo: Dr Vaibhav Garg with a patient in Andamooka.

The heart of community care

During her visit, Jessie also spent time with RFDS Remote Area Nurse Jack King, a familiar and trusted presence in Andamooka.

“The community knows that I’m a resident here and that speaks volumes to them,” Jack said.

“We live in an isolated environment, and our aim is to manage patients’ care as effectively as possible before they require non-urgent or non-life-threatening evacuation.

“It’s a real joy for me to come to work knowing that I can assess patients, get them seen by a doctor, and ensure they receive the comprehensive care they need.

“If we didn’t have funding including private sponsorship, those essential elements of primary health and wellbeing would go unfulfilled here.

“All of that is made possible by RFDS and the support we receive from partners like HCF. It’s pretty special.”

Remote Area Nurse Jack King

Photo: Remote Area Nurse Jack King.

A partnership making a difference

In support of HCF’s social mission to build healthier communities, HCF’s $3 million commitment over three years will help fund the upkeep of RFDS aircraft and life-saving technologies, ensuring the delivery of crucial primary healthcare and mental health services to every corner of Australia. The collaboration between RFDS and HCF is a tangible example of how partnerships can bring about real change.

RFDS SA/NT Executive General Manager, Strategy, Brand & Reputation, Charlie Paterson, highlighted the value of this synergy between the two not-for-profit organisations.

“HCF is all about providing the human touch to its healthcare, and that’s what RFDS is about.”

Jessie’s experience exposed her to the real-life impact of the partnership at work.

“It was an incredible and jam-packed 24 hours with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, seeing how they deliver medical interventions and preventative care to people out in the bush,” Jessie said.

“HCF and the Royal Flying Doctor Service have joined forces, combining their expertise to enhance healthcare access across Australia. Our shared focus on heart health, dental care, mental health, and women’s health are areas where we can make a significant difference together.”

Jessie and Vai

Photo: Andamooka is one of 14 remote communities where the RFDS Oral Health team visits regularly to deliver care.

Looking ahead

Jessie’s journey with the RFDS showcases the power of community and the difference that dedicated professionals and generous donors make every day.

“By doing what we do, day in and day out at HCF, we are part of an organisation that is bringing our human touch to healthcare,” Jessie said.

Through the support of donors and partners like HCF, the RFDS continues to be a lifeline for remote communities, ensuring that quality healthcare is accessible to all, no matter where they live.

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Focus on Flight Ops

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Article supplied by CASA. 

Focus on flight ops
Welcome to July’s edition of Focus on flight ops.

In this issue we cover:

  • – training and checking systems (TCS) due date reminder
  • – TCS industry webinar recap
  • – benefits of using a Part 61 qualified person to conduct non-normal TCS activities
  • – knowing what’s in your operations manuals
  • – exemptions that may benefit your operations
  • – RotorTech wrap-up
  • – rotorcraft transition timeline update.
6 weeks left to submit your TCS documentation
Hopefully everyone is on track to submit their training and checking systems documentation to us by 31 August 2024. 
Catch up on recent TCS information sessions
If you missed out on attending our training and checking systems online info session, you can now watch the recording.

Join Greg and Andrea as they explain the ins-and-outs of what is required when submitting your training and checking documentation.
Conduct non-normal TCS activities with a Part 61 instructor
As you prepare to transition to TCS, did you know that you can use qualified Part 61 instructors and examiners to conduct airborne non-normal training and checking exercises without the need for our approval?
Knowing your manuals
Operators are accountable for understanding the details of their organisation’s operational manuals.
Exemptions that could streamline your operations
Did you know there are a range of exemptions that could help streamline your operations?

Exemptions provide you greater flexibility for implementing standard operating procedures at your organisation, such as avoiding the need to change your processes when you operate between multiple Parts.

Murray began bleeding out internally, after he hit the handlebars of his motorcross bike

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Article supplied by RFDS. 

Childhood sweethearts, Murray and Julie Collins, have been together for over thirty years.

And throughout their time together, they have shared an unusual passion – for the adrenalin charged sport of motorcross racing.

But back in 2003, the wheels very nearly came off Murray’s motorcross adventures, when a random miscalculation mid-race almost cost him his life.

In Episode #98 of the Flying Doctor podcast, Murray and Julie recount the day when an inter-club motorcross race at Longreach ended up with Murray being airlifted by the RFDS, suffering from major internal bleeding.

Murray Collins still races motorcross, even after his near-fatal accident in 2003

The sport of Motorcross combines high speed and jostling for a position on the track, with the challenge of obstacles.

There’s even an obstacle section known as a ‘whoops’ – which is basically a series of continuous bumps that racers can ride over, as fast as they like.

On the day of his accident, Murray recalls taking the ‘whoops’ with confidence – as he was in the leading pack of racers! But after hitting the handlebars of his bike at high speed, Murray quickly realised he had ‘really done something’. Murray had ruptured his mesenteric artery and began severely bleeding into his abdomen.

Murray and Julie's daughter, Keira, is now a highly successful motorcross competitor in her own right.

Kelly was heavily pregnant when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour

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Article supplied by RFDS.

In 2002, as a fit country woman eagerly awaiting the birth of her first child, Kelly Foran believed her issues with balance and co-ordination were simply related to her ever-growing ‘baby belly’. But after going to the hospital with her husband for some tests, Kelly was told she was likely succumbing to pre-eclampsia. Then a visiting ED Doctor noticed Kelly stumbling in the hospital corridor, he asked her if he could ‘run a few more tests’.

Kelly's baby, Jake, was born shortly after she was diagnosed witha brain tumour

The scans Kelly underwent that night revealed a possible aneurism was pressing onto her brain and was threatening the life of both herself and her unborn child. But just hours later, she was told that the mass in her brain was a the size of a ‘goose egg’, and was actually one of the largest brain tumours that her Doctor had ever seen. Kelly, with her husband Dave by her side, were transported by the RFDS for life-saving treatments – while her medical team co-ordinated how to safely deliver Kelly’s baby into the world.

Kelly's baby Jake was diagnosed with eye cancer

After Kelly’s son Jake was delivered safely, he experienced a range of medical complications. Meanwhile, Kelly was told that her brain tumour needed to be shrunk via steroids before any operation would be feasible. So Kelly and her newborn baby were ‘sent home’ to await further operations and updates, not knowing whether Kelly was even likely to survive. But Kelly’s family’s health challenges were only just beginning. After undergoing a 16 hour operation to remove her own tumour, just a few months later, her baby Jake was diagnosed with cancer of the eye.

Kelly has dedicated her life to helping others through her Friendly Faces, Helping Hands Foundation

In this remarkable and inspiring episode #97 of the Flying Doctor Podcast, Kelly bravely shares how both she and her young son fought hard to stay alive. And how her experiences as a rural patient inspired her to start the ‘Friendly Faces, Helping Hands Foundation’ – an organisation dedicated to helping country patients and their families to navigate the often daunting requirements of attending city-based medical treatments and appointments.

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Preventing VFR into IMC

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preventing VFR into IMC

Article supplied by CASA.  We’ve compiled some useful resources to help visual flight rules (VFR) pilots avoid instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).

A wet airport taxiway under a cloudy sky

Flying VFR into IMC is one of the top causes of aviation accidents around the world. Australia is no exception. The often fatal outcomes of these accidents are even more tragic because they are avoidable.

The key to prevention is thorough pre-flight planning and a personal minimums checklist. This minimises poor or incorrect decision-making caused by the stress of flying into marginal weather.

Common factors

Most inadvertent VFR flights into IMC have common factors:

  • > rushed and incomplete pre-flight planning
  • > misinterpreting/underestimating of threats associated with weather forecasts
  • > overconfidence in adverse conditions
  • > overestimating cloud heights and visibility
  • > using phrases like “scud running”, “she’ll be right, I’ve done this in worse conditions” and “we’re close to our destination”.
  • > pressure from passengers to go
  • > pressure from yourself to go.

All the resources listed below are available on the website. You can also visit the weather and forecasting page of the Pilot safety hub.

Resources

Videos

Articles

Audios

Online store

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RFDS to open its first permanent GP clinic in Kalgoorlie

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RFDS to open its first permanent GP clinic in Kalgoorlie

Article supplied by RFDS.  The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Western Australia (RFDS WA) will open its first permanent GP clinic in Kalgoorlie in late 2024 to support the growing demand for primary health care in the Goldfields.

RFDS GP with patient

The establishment of the GP clinic is a key initiative in the RFDS WA’s 2024 – 2028 Strategy Above & Beyond and marks the beginning of a broader primary health care expansion for the RFDS, with plans to establish additional GP clinics in other regions across WA where it’s needed most.

The GP clinic in Kalgoorlie will complement the medical services already available to the Goldfields community.

A key feature of the clinic will be the involvement of allied health students who will work alongside GPs, providing a holistic health experience for patients. 

This model also offers regional training opportunities for the next generation of health care workers, encouraging them to remain in the regions where demand for medical care is greatest.

The new RFDS GP clinic is made possible with the support of Curtin University, the WA Country Health Service and Northern Star Resources. Further information about the clinic including the launch date, location and opening times will be available soon.

If you or someone you know is interested in working for the RFDS, please view our current vacancies.

RFDS WA Retrieval Nurse Beth with Northern Star
 

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Maintenance Month takes flight

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CASA maintenance month May

Get ready for the month of May to turn purple as we’re shining a light on all thing’s maintenance engineering, during our inaugural Maintenance Month.

Maintenance month

We’re highlighting the pivotal role of aircraft maintenance engineers while also inspiring individuals to explore career opportunities as aircraft mechanics.

Throughout May, our communication channels will be drenched in purple as we host a series of engaging online webinars featuring our very own engineer experts.

Additionally, we are excited to announce an exclusive social media competition for aircraft maintenance engineers and apprentices, with an opportunity to win one of three $500 Snap-on Tools voucher.

Furthermore, Maintenance Month will serve as a showcase of the diverse and rewarding career opportunities available within the field of aircraft maintenance.

From highlighting the technical prowess required to ensuring aircraft safety to emphasising the meticulous attention to detail inherent in every aspect of maintenance work, this initiative aims to foster a deeper appreciation for the crucial work carried out by aircraft maintenance professionals.

Be sure to check out our communication and social media channels and spread the word the word to you friends, colleagues and stakeholders.

Snap-on Tools social media competition

Calling all aircraft apprentices and aircraft maintenance engineers — we’ve got a competition exclusively for you!

Is your toolbox looking a little bare?

This is your opportunity to give it a boost with top-notch equipment, with the chance to win 1 of 3 $500 Snap-on Tools vouchers!

How to enter

To enter:

  1. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
  2. Subscribe to our aircraft maintenance engineer mailing list.
  3. Tag a fellow engineer who should also participate!

Entries close 4pm Friday 24 May.Terms and conditions

Winners will be randomly selected.

One entry per person.

You must have completed all 3 items under ‘How to enter’. You must also provide proof of your occupation as either one of the following:

  • an aircraft apprentice
  • an aircraft trade assistant
  • unlicensed aircraft maintenance engineer.

Open to Australian residents only.

This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram.

We’ll notify the winners via email and how to claim their voucher.

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Angel Flight & IFFR- kindred spirits of the sky

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Angel Flight & IFFR- kindred spirits of the sky

One of the best kept secrets in Rotary is the number of Fellowships, over 100 recently counted which cater for the special interest of their many members.

Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion. Being part of a fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world, explore a hobby or profession, and enhance your Rotary experience.

These groups help expand skills, foster vocational development, and enhance the Rotary experience by exploring interests while developing connections around the world.

The International Fellowship of Flying Rotarians (“IFFR”) is one such group of like-minded aviation enthusiasts, some of whom are either aspiring, current or past pilots, who enjoy the fun and fellowship of getting together twice a year in interesting places around the globe.

Globally they are some 1,200 IFFR members, mostly active Rotarians, who proudly wear their IFFR “Wings” spreading the word about Rotary in their respective communities whilst linking their passion for aviation through offering “Service Above Self”, often engaging as volunteers in the emerging concept of “Public Benefit Flying”.

In Australia and New Zealand there are some 120 members in the ranks of IFFR. The concept of Public Benefit Flying is very familiar to them, some also being active pilots or Earth Angels for Angel Flight.

According to Mike McFarlane, who is a long time Angel Flight pilot volunteer and currently IFFR’s VP Asia & Australasia, “There is no better form of flying for a pilot than Angel Flights where you can enjoy your passion for aviation and at the same time make a real and visible difference to another person in need of ongoing medical help”.

Rob Hannemann who is the current IFFR Australian President 2022-24 and an Angel Flight pilot believes there is a natural fit between Angel Flight volunteers and IFFR members. Both groups are dedicated to doing good in the world. He believes, “there is the opportunity for other Angel Flight folk to join in the adventures of IFFR on six-monthly Fly-Aways plus importantly more IFFR members become part of Angel Flight family”.

Angel Flight CEO Marjorie Pagani sees great scope for working together for our mutual benefit building on Rotary’s “Service Above Self” to involve more Rotarians in the activities of Angel flight and IFFR. As Marjorie says, “In a similar vein to Rotary, the success of Angel Flight is due to the fact that our volunteers gain enormous satisfaction from giving their skills and resources to help fellow Australians in need. It is their way of making a very personal contribution to the community in which they live. The natural synergy between Rotary and Angel Flight has led to an enduring relationship and one we intend to build upon to bolster our community service position and ultimately, help more people in need. ”

There is no doubt that Angel Flight, Rotary and IFFR are community service kindred spirits; committed to doing good in the world by extending a helping hand and providing their talents, skills and resources to those in need.

The next two IFFR Australian FlyAways are in Queensland- 12-15th April from Toowoomba and another in October with details upon request. Angel Flight Pilots and Earth Angels would be most welcome to join in the fun and fellowship; just call Rob or Mike for the weekend details.

For information on IFFR or Angel Flight, please contact PP Rob Hannemann, Australian IFFR President 2022-24 on 0439 754 290 or PP Mike McFarlane IFFR WPE 2024-26 on 0418 317 418.

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Meet the Flying Doctor’s female pilots

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Meet the flying doctor's female pilots

Article supplied by RFDS Every March, Women of Aviation Worldwide Week is held in recognition of French Aviator Raymonde de Laroche becoming the first woman to be issued a flying licence on 8 March 1910.

The RFDS is proud of the women on our aviation team who followed in the footsteps of Raymonde de Laroche.

For the RFDS, Women of Aviation Worldwide Week marks an important opportunity to highlight the valuable contributions made by the women in our aviation teams, and to encourage more women and girls to consider a career in aviation.

To mark the week, we reached out to our five female pilots at RFDS SA/NT to ask them what their job means to them. Here’s what they said...

RFDS Pilot Heather Ford

Heather Ford – Pilot/Training & Checking Coordinator, Adelaide Base

“I know celebrating five female pilots in RFDS SA/NT may sound cheesy or corny, however it is a major achievement for the organisation to be proud of. Aviation can be quite challenging, especially as there have been a lot of opinions and behaviours formed in the 60s and 70s. These industry norms have slowly changed over my career in aviation, and I look forward to seeing it completely change in the not-to-distant future… Given that the industry figure worldwide is approximately five to six per cent, we are a minority. It is essential to promote the number of lady pilots that the RFDS has, for many reasons, but my main one is so that the young girls can see they can be pilots, astronauts, engineers, doctors and they can start imagining themselves in those positions and make it a reality.”

RFDS Pilot Jessica Dettmer

Jessica Dettmer – Pilot, Adelaide Base

“It’s been my childhood dream to come work for the RFDS and I am extremely grateful to now work along such dedicated, knowledgeable, and experienced flight and medical crews. Digging into the aeromedical side has been a fresh yet rewarding challenge for me and I enjoy how every day is something new. I also love the balance of living in the city, but still having chance to venture outback. Each day I am part of a team to improve care and enhance the lives of those who need it most, and that’s incredibly fulfilling.”

RFDS Pilot Kellie Job

Kellie Job – Pilot, Alice Springs Base

“I’ve been an aeromedical pilot for six years and am still privileged to be a part of people’s stories. We only see people for a small part of what in many cases is a long journey to recovery for them and their families, but being part of an amazing team that puts so much care into caring for our patients for that brief period of time to try and make their journey that little bit easier is what being a part of the RFDS means to me.”

RFDS Pilot Laura Koerbin

Laura Koerbin – Pilot, Adelaide Base

“Flying for the RFDS is meaningful to me as it allows me to feel deeply rewarded by the work I do every day. I’m thankful on the daily to be able to work with such a talented and like-minded team of experts, delivering 24/7 care to all corners of the state. Working for the RFDS means I am excited to come to work every day and see first-hand the impact my role can have on someone’s life. I wanted to work for the RFDS as a means of giving back to the community and it’s so rewarding and meaningful to me to be able to see that happening with every job. This is a role that pushes me to keep challenging myself, to be flexible and adaptable, and to always be learning from the people I work with. It’s my dream job and I’m very lucky to love what I do.”

RFDS Pilot Ellie Gray

Ellie Gray – Pilot, Alice Springs Base

“I’m passionate about service to the community, especially rural and remote communities, and I love flying. The RFDS brings everything together in a strong and professional organisation, with an inspiring legacy. I’m proud to serve my community as part of the RFDS.”

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