Did you know there are two different size of aircraft in three different configurations that the Royal Flying Doctor Service uses in NSW?
It’s the mix of aircraft that means we can deliver the wide range of services we provide – from aeromedical emergencies and inter-hospital transfers, through to remote clinics.
Ten out of our 14 aircraft - or 70% - are King Air B200s, fitted out for a mix of emergency retrievals and clinic transport around Western and Far NSW, north-east of South Australia and south-west of Queensland.
We also have four King Air B350s, which have impressive range, and are prioritised to transport low to high-acuity patients the long distance between airports without the need to stop to refuel.
There are three main points of difference between the B200 and the B350: size, airstrip requirements, and how far it can fly before needing to refuelled.
The B200 can operate into shorter airstrips and is especially well-equipped for remote and privately owned airstrips. If you have had a visit from the Flying Doctor in a remote location, it’s more than likely you’ve seen or been in one of our B200s.
The B350 is a heavier aircraft and requires a longer airstrip. It also has a longer range it can travel before requiring to be refuelled – ideal for transport between big centres like Broken Hill and Adelaide or Dubbo and Sydney. If you have travelled with our team to a capital city for specialist care, you were probably in a B350.
As the B200 is no longer manufactured we are asked questions around whether or not the RFDS will continue to use the B200s and what this means for the future.
As an aeromedical service dedicated to supporting regional, rural and remote communities, we will always ensure we have the resources and infrastructure in place to provide that support where it is required.
This means we are committed to operating the B200s until a suitable replacement is identified - there is no plan to retire the B200 fleet of aircraft.
With hundreds of B200s operated worldwide, a very healthy supply chain of parts to support their continued operation, and our own expert in-house engineering team, we are well-prepared to continue flying B200s into the future.
We understand that any future change to our fleet may have implications for the hundreds of airstrips we can fly to at any given moment.
This is why we are committed to understanding and consulting with our communities around fleet planning decisions.
It is also why we are investing in developing a comprehensive database of airstrips we attend so that we have up to date information about the current state of existing airstrips, but also to provide a platform to share updates and consult with airstrip owners in the future.
If you are a private airstrip owner, you can provide an update on your airstrip here.
In the meantime, rest assured that our aircraft are dedicated to reaching the most remote locations, we are committed to supporting our communities long into the future.
