More than 30 aircraft will soar across the skies as part of the 12th Outback Air Race to raise vital funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).
This year’s race will run from 22 August to 8 September, starting in Yulara in the Northern Territory and finishing in Carnarvon in Western Australia.
RFDS (Queensland Section) Ambassadors and aviation enthusiasts Ian and Jane Campbell have proudly signed up to the challenge again after raising more than $75,000 in the previous 2022 race.
Their goal is to raise $30,000 while spreading the word about the vital work of the Flying Doctor across more than 2,000 nautical miles in their 50-year-old Cessna.
“I’m really looking forward to taking off from our property, looking back over my shoulder at all of the green crops, and going on an adventure with Jane,” Ian said.
“Instead of going to Hamilton Island or Bali for our honeymoon, we decided to go to flying school, and it was just such a memorable and exhilarating experience.
“Since then, we have been on many trips across the outback together, and now we get to do it for a good cause.”
During the race, pilots will be scored based on their navigation accuracy and timing skills rather than speed – a skill Ian and Jane have perfected as founders of Manana Pastoral, a sustainable agriculture venture that produces beef and lamb.
Each week, Ian flies to their various farms between Coffs Harbour in New South Wales and St George in Queensland, and now he gets to fly 3,800 km while mingling with other RFDS supporters at nine various scheduled stopovers.
“We really love the camaraderie between the competitors and sharing our life experiences,” Jane said.
“We’re also really looking forward to visiting our oldest daughter during one of the legs, who has been living in Kununurra for three years.
“It is on the route, and we get to spend two heavenly days with her!”
The 18-day flying challenge will take the pair to many iconic places across Australia, including Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Daly Waters, Katherine, Broome, Onslow and Exmouth, all while igniting community support for the Flying Doctor.
“The RFDS really resonates with us. We have both lived and worked on remote properties and understand the challenges people face,” Jane said.
“A couple of our friends have been saved by the Flying Doctor, and after hearing their stories, it makes you realise that accidents can happen so quickly. We want to help highlight how essential the RFDS is for remote and regional communities.”
Since its inception in 1996, the race has raised more than $4 million for the RFDS. All funds raised from the event will support the RFDS in delivering vital aeromedical and primary health care services to people who live, work, and travel across regional, rural and remote communities.
