Cadets Visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service
On Sunday, 22 August 2026, Niddrie Squadron had the opportunity to visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) at their Essendon base. We were joined by eight cadets and two officers from Macedon Ranges Squadron, who were our guests for the day. In total, 33 cadets and six officers took part in the visit.
For the majority of us, this was our first time visiting the RFDS, and it gave us a chance to see a completely different side of aviation and the many careers that are available in aviation. The visit also helped us work towards our Emergency Services badge.
We began our visit inside the office area, where our hosts, Naylor and Chris, showed us some of what happens behind the scenes. It was interesting to see just how many different people are involved in getting a patient safely transported. There are flight crews, nurses, pilots, operations staff and other people working together to plan and carry out each flight.
At Essendon, the RFDS aircraft are primarily used for non-emergency patient (NEP) transport. This includes patients travelling between hospitals, travelling to medical appointments or being transferred to specialist care. Even though these are not emergency flights, many of the patients can still be quite unwell and need medical care and monitoring while they travel.
After seeing the office, we were taken into the hangar where we saw the ambulance driveway. This is where an ambulance can bring a patient directly into the hangar before they are taken into the waiting and assessment area. The medical staff can check the patient and make sure they are suitable and safe to travel before the flight.
One of the things that really caught our attention was the neonatal capsule used to transport babies who need specialised care. It was surprisingly small, but it is designed to safely hold a newborn while they are being transported.
Then came the part most of us had been waiting for—going airside to see the aircraft.
This was the highlight of the visit – getting to go inside the Beechcraft King Air 350. We were able to see the cockpit and learn about how the aircraft is set up for patient transport. Some interesting facts about the King Air is it can travel at up to 305 knots (564 km/h), reach 35,000 feet and has a range of around 3,000 km. Inside were two stretcher positions and four passenger seats, making it very different from a normal passenger aircraft.
Most patients who are able to walk can board the aircraft normally. However, for patients who cannot walk, the aircraft has a side hatch that allows stretchers to be carefully loaded by small crane into the narrow fuselage. This showed us how the aircraft has been specially designed around the needs of the people it transports.
It was also interesting to see how much equipment and planning is required to turn an aircraft into a flying medical environment. The visit showed us that aviation is not just about flying aircraft—it can also involve medicine, nursing, engineering, logistics, communications, operations and many other careers.
The RFDS visit was a great experience for the cadets and gave us a better understanding of how aviation can be used to help people.
A huge thank you to Naylor and Chris for taking the time to show us around, answer all of our questions and give us such an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the RFDS. All of the cadets learnt a lot, and it was definitely a visit we will remember.
By L/Cdt Carson Kapteinis
