Graphic: A medical jet aircraft with RFDS logo flies over a dry, brown landscape
The RFDS Medi-Jet 24, an incredible purpose-built medical jet, has reached another milestone – its first 100 days of operational service.
Over its first 100 days, under the stewardship of our dedicated crews, the RFDS Medi-Jet 24 has:
- conducted 78 missions around the clock,
- landed at 21 locations in six states/territories,
- flown 108,000 kilometres, and, most importantly,
- airlifted 128 patients to specialist care at a major hospital, providing the finest care in the air every step of the way.
It’s first mission was the ICU transfer of a critically-ill patient from the Alice Springs Hospital to Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The direct flight in the RFDS Medi-Jet 24 took just three hours – two hours quicker than previously in one of our trusty turbo-prop PC-12 aircraft which requires a stop to re-fuel at Broken Hill along the way.
In all, the medical jet (RFDS Medi-Jet 24) has saved 75 flying hours – an average of almost one hour for every mission.
Slashing mission time of our long-haul flights is just the start. The RFDS Medi-Jet 24 has also delivered on its promise of enhancing our operational capability and versatility, including:
- transferring a ICU patient from Darwin direct to Adelaide without refuelling;
- carrying premature twins from a country hospital to the Women’s & Children’s Hospital, each in their own ICU Mansell Unit;
- landing at an outback airfield to airlift a cardiac patient to specialist care in Adelaide;
- efficiently transporting three-stretchered patients on the same flight from a regional hospital;
- airlifting two unrelated ICU patients on the same mission from a country hospital; and
- the interstate transfer of newborn babies to Melbourne for specialist heart surgery.
For this, and on behalf of these patients, we say thank you. Our vision to design and build the world’s first purpose-built medical jet was funded by the community – our donors, fundraisers, volunteers and corporate partners .
Watch the highlights of the RFDS Medi-Jet 24’s first 100 days of service:
