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How many aircraft does the Royal Flying Doctor Service use?

See below for details on each plane. The RFDS national fleet is 81 planes strong and is growing each year.



The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) operates a massive national aviation fleet that currently stands at 81 aircraft, making it the third-largest "airline" in Australia by fleet size. This fleet is strategically distributed across several regional sections to provide 24-hour emergency aeromedical coverage. The backbone of the service is the Pilatus PC-12, with 36 units currently in operation, valued for its ability to land on short, unsealed outback runways. To handle long-distance transfers more efficiently, the RFDS has expanded its jet fleet to include 5 Pilatus PC-24 Super Versatile Jets, which can reach speeds of 787 km/h. The fleet is rounded out by a various Beechcraft King Air models (approx. 40 units including B200, B350, and B360 variants) and a specialized aeromedical helicopter service in Western Australia. Each aircraft is essentially a flying intensive care unit, equipped with state-of-the-art medical technology and a customized interior designed to handle everything from emergency births to complex trauma retrievals.

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In an Australian first for the Flying Doctor, the five-year partnership will integrate two EC-145 helicopters into the RFDS fleet.

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The RFDS has 5 different planes that are used for aeromedical operations. These are the Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 (used in SA/NT and WA), the King Air B350 C and B200 C (used in Qld, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania) and the new Beechcraft King Air 360CHW turboprop aircraft (used in Qld).

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Long known as one of the largest aeromedical organisations in the world, the RFDS delivers health care where mainstream health services are not available, using the latest in aviation, medical and communications technology and a broad-reaching ground-service fleet.

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This includes an Airbus Voyager of the Royal Air Force (RAF), No. 10 Squadron, and the King's Helicopter Flight, which forms part of the royal household. Civil aircraft and scheduled commercial flights are also utilised. The Royal Air Force's VIP Airbus A330 MRTT (RAF Voyager KC3), ZZ336, landing at RAF Brize Norton.

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