The Royal Flying Doctor Service SA/NT (RFDS) has welcomed RAA as a Community Partner, providing critical funding to support the RFDS’s aeromedical training simulator.
The three-year partnership will support the ongoing use of the simulator, enabling RFDS crews to train in a realistic environment that mirrors the demands of real-world aeromedical retrievals across South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Every year, more than 10,000 patients across SA/NT are transported by the RFDS, with 146 transfers in 2025 specifically related to motor vehicle crashes in SA.
RFDS Executive General Manager, Strategy, Brand & Reputation, Charlie Paterson said this partnership with RAA strengthens the aeromedical training that underpins every RFDS mission.
“In remote and outback emergencies, our pilots, doctors and nurses are often working alongside first responders and other emergency services, and the decisions they make can be life-saving,” Charlie said.
“High-fidelity simulator training ensures our crews are prepared not only for the clinical and aviation challenges they face, but for the broader impact these incidents have on patients, families and communities.”
RAA General Manager Community & Corporate Affairs Emily Perry said the partnership reflects RAA's longstanding commitment to road safety and reducing the impact of road trauma.
"The Royal Flying Doctor Service has saved thousands of South Australian lives by providing critical aeromedical care and transport,” Ms Perry said.
"When someone is seriously injured in a crash on a remote or rural SA road, the quality of that initial care provided by the RFDS and other first responders can be the difference between life and death.
“Investing in simulator training is a natural extension of RAA’s road safety mission – because road safety doesn't end at the crash scene.
"We're proud to back the RFDS in giving its incredible aeromedical teams the best possible preparation for the work they do."
In recognition of the partnership, the RFDS’s aeromedical simulator will bear the RAA brand on its fuselage.
Outside of RFDS training, the simulator can be seen at community events, allowing individuals and groups to experience the life-saving work of the RFDS.
In the coming months, it will feature at events in the Barossa, Riverland, Spencer Gulf, Eyre Peninsula and the state’s South East.
Learn more about the Flying Doctor.
