The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) made invaluable community connections on Saturday at Picnic with the Planes – RFDS Townsville Base, presented by Textron Aviation.
The sell-out event welcomed more than 1,000 guests from across north Queensland to Townsville Helicopters at Hangar 85 and featured merchandise stalls, food trucks, face-painting, live music, lawn games and a family-friendly atmosphere.
Crowds gathered throughout the day to witness the RFDS Townsville team perform stretcher load demonstrations with an RFDS Beechcraft King Air B360 aircraft, which was on display for all to see.
RFDS (Queensland Section) Executive General Manager Commercial and Corporate Affairs Carole Tokody said the event was a wonderful opportunity for the RFDS to connect with the Townsville community.
“We are overwhelmed by the incredible response these events receive from communities right across the state,” Carole said.
“It’s an exciting new way for us to engage with people and keep communities informed about the vital work we do— not just in aeromedical retrieval, but also in primary health care, virtual health, mental health, oral health and our RFDS Medical Chests—and to thank them for supporting the RFDS.
“We look forward to delivering more events like these in the future, so that everyone in the city, on the coast, and deep in the outback knows they can call on the Flying Doctor.”
Throughout the event, guests met and mingled with the RFDS Townsville team who transport more than 2,200 patients and fly more than 1.4 million kilometers each year.
Families with young children enjoyed crafting their own set of wings with entertainer Andy Dexterity and explored the iconic RFDS aeromedical simulator, a full replica of the King Air B200 aircraft.
This event would not have been possible without support from presenting partner Textron Aviation, Silver sponsor, Ergon Energy Retail, Bronze sponsors, Core Developments and Donohues, and in-kind donations from Townsville Helicopters, PUFT Events and Gracie Signs.
Special thanks to our Principal Partner Woolworths for attending and handing out free fruit and water to guests. We invite you to view highlights from the image gallery below.
