New Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS) - Qld Section - Beech B360 Super King Air VH-FDW "FlyDoc 447" Completes First Medevac Flight into CQ at Roma Airport

On Thursday 13 October, the new(ish) Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS) - Queensland Section - Textron Aviation (Beechcraft) B300C Super King Air 350 (B360) VH-FDW "FlyDoc 447"was noted completing its first medical evacuation flight into Central Queensland, calling into Roma Airport from Brisbane.

File photo

As mentioned previously, VH-FDW (Serial Number FM-99) was delivered to the RFDS at Brisbane with the Super King Air flying in from overseas via Cairns (where it cleared customs) on Wednesday 22 December 2021, wearing the American 'delivery' registration marking of N99FM.  

VH-FDW completed test flights in January 2022 - as pictured - but has spent much of the year in the hangar at Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast receiving pre-service fit-out and maintenance.  VH-FDW looked to finally leave the hangar at Caloundra last Wednesday 5 October for the RFDS Brisbane Airport base with this week's flight(s) being its first medical evacuation flights for the RFDS.

UPDATE!  On Friday 14 October, VH-FDW "FlyDoc 447" looked to complete a medevac flight into Bundaberg Airport also from and back to Brisbane.

Meanwhile, the second RFDS - Queensland Section - Textron Aviation (Beechcraft) B300C Super King Air 350 (B360) was delivered into Brisbane Airport in mid-September with the future VH-FDA (Serial Number FM-104) arriving from overseas, wearing the American 'delivery' registration marking of N104WS.

It was placed on the Australian Aircraft register as VH-FDA at the end of September, and, as posted below, completed a flight from Brisbane up to Maryborough Airport and then down to Caloundra on Tuesday 4 October.  VH-FDA has replaced VH-FDW in the hangar now for pre-service fit-out and maintenance.

Of interest, the Beechcraft Super King Air 360CHW turboprop aircraft is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation and is the first of six acquired by the RFDS, totalling a near $100 million investment in the future of Queenslanders’ health.

Revolutionising aeromedical care in Australia, the new fleet of B360s will give the RFDS the capability to fly further and faster than ever before while also reducing pilot workload to enhance care opportunities and providing greater patient comfort.

The new aircraft will be the fastest twin turboprop aeromedical aircraft in the country, with the next three scheduled to arrive in Australia in 2022, and two in 2023.

Photo taken by Steve Vit  ©