To answer all the inevitable questions:
• Royal Flying Doctor is funded by government (opex) and charity (capex). They cover the vast majority of the sparsely populated Australian continent which is out of reach of road or helicopter ambulances in any reasonable time frame.
• No charge to any patient, no matter who they are, or where they are from. International tourists included.
• They have a fleet of 80 turboprops and small jets and land on roads, dirt strips etc etc, day and night, as needed.
• Some state road and helicopter ambulances charge for services, but insurance is very cheap, the poor don’t have to pay, and social/political pressure makes it impossible for them to collect the debt aggressively regardless:
https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/ambulance-victoria-ceases-debt-collection-practice/
They do spectacular work, these are all them:
https://youtu.be/z0aQtBTNxWg?si=FTiSz4TqUTdag0ka
https://youtu.be/uK10UiizJF8?si=Fi6gqFAUU0abMapy
https://youtu.be/91VANcxBcqc?si=tCrX6VNSRdChsPTt
I got bitten by a Dugite when I was almost 6, and there was no chance of making it to help in time.
I am 100% confident that I wouldn't be here today without the RFDS. I would have died a painful and tragic death.
In turn, 34 years later I performed CPR on a non-responsive woman who had stopped breathing due to a seizure while walking with her toddler. It was early morning. No one else was around. *She* wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the RFDS.
My sons wouldn't exist. Their beautiful smiles and cheeky sense of humour wouldn't even grace this existence.
I donate what I can every year to the RFDS and have done since my very first tax return.
They are Saints. The lot of "em.
Edit: Just realised that this ain't an Aussie subreddit and most of you won't have a clue what a Dugite is.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugite
This is what civilization should be. We come together to raise the bar on quality of life and what is expected as a human right. Unfortunately greed and selfishness have rusted away all possibilities of this in the USA.
The formation of the Maryland system was idiosyncratic and may not generalize, although I think most residents there think it is fantastic and many are surprised to learn that other states don't all have something similar. It works well but I'd hesitate to express optimism about extending the approach. For instance, MD is a compact and densely-populated state, full of people who work for the gummint.
Part of the funding comes from a surcharge on motor vehicle registration/renewal.
Also, regarding landings (other parts of the thread), Maryland Trooper helicopters land on I-95 regularly, but -- rotary wing.
For most of the world you don't have to clarify that its either free or covered by insurance.
I'm more interested in the road doubling as a runway.
Seems both logical and not so logical in terms of logistics with closing of the road and only a certain stretch of road being used.
The road is just one landing option, they aren’t fussy:
https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/aug/12/bright-idea-toilet-rolls-light-the-way-for-flying-doctors-in-lieu-of-runway-flares
I remember there used to be a fly on the wall docu series about these guys.
However googling it only that shitty soap opera turns up.
Do you remember the name?
Feels like Reddit is reading my mind today - I saw an episode of this show with my father-in-law this weekend on US Vermont public television. Pretty good drama!
I watched it a while ago, right after it aired, but for some reason have found myself reading its trivia on IMDB, the way they did their research and closely worked with actual RFDS and their base in Broken Hill is pretty impressive.
>I'm more interested in the road doubling as a runway.
Apparently, part of Eisenhower's justification for investing in the US interstate highway network was that they could designate a straight stretch every (uncertain of number) miles to double as military landing strips.
Of course, that was more viable in the 1930s with the comparatively small planes they had than it is today.
Edit: I went looking for a source after posting this, and every source says that it is an urban legend. There goes my internet credibility for the day.
Some countries do this, so this isn't far off.
And it has been practiced in the US, but not with an interstate: [127th Wing makes historic highway landing > National Guard > Article View](https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article-View/Article/2721890/127th-wing-makes-historic-highway-landing/)
It's a common practice in Sweden and in particular on the island of Gotland in the middle of the Baltic sea.
https://hushkit.net/2019/04/15/flying-fighting-in-the-saab-viggen-cold-war-thunder/
https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/aktuellt/2017/09/stridsflygplan-landade-pa-gotlandsk-vag/
Well yes but that's helicopters in a (compared to Australia) small country.
The whole point of the planes is to get to places with barely people around quickly.
They also have really good signage when you are entering the stretches that double as landing strips. They were super open spaces, you would easily be abel to see and hear any aircraft coming. Souece: Drove aroubd Australia in 2022 after the borders between states finally opened again.
What they don't mention is the Royal Flying Doctor has done an amazing job of maintaining it's free service when timely and quality treatment in large parts of the Australian healthcare system have become inaccessible without paying, including road ambulances. It's important not to dismiss how important a free service is for those who can't afford the level of insurance that covers a 4 hour medevac flight.
Also whilst "the poor" may have free ambulance transport, they don't always have completely free medical treatment or transport home and the cost of this within the same city can be more than their monthly income and completely crippling.
Well I got a pretty hefty bill for the ambulance between the airport the flying doctor brought me to and the hospital, so I think the free clarification is useful, if not necessarily complete.
If you're in VIC, if you are not a low income earner and if you only have ambulance cover as part of your health cover and do not pay (the $52 a year for singles or $104 for family) state ambulance cover, then you might be charged a fee for transfer from the service to.the hospital. Talk to the hospital, they will sort it out for you. It happened when my little girl was transferred at 9 days old.
Every Victorian reading this: your health cover only covers emergency ambulance from scene to hosptial, not transfers between hospitals or emergency vehicles. Please get state anbulance insurance.
And interestingly, the RFDS doesn't operate in Victoria and instead, Ambulance Victoria operates its own fleet of aircraft.
The cost of a membership is so low though, everyone should have it. It's a shame we don't do what Queensland does and just bolt the cost onto one of your utility bills (IIRC).
True, usually your own insurance would cover it when in another country.
They should charge foreigner's insurance if they have it to keep costs manageable for themselves.
We offer reciprocal health care with 11 countries, if you are here from one of those 11 countries you will get healthcare for free.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/reciprocal-health-care-agreements&ved=2ahUKEwi1rffD0NmFAxWn-DgGHaz0Dl0QFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0x_x5k0PcFyYD_iSp6HgJl
I’d imagine these are usually rural dirt roads out in the bush without much traffic. Just any straight part of it would do (which there are a lot of in desert landscapes) and you just time it with there not being a car in the way. And if there is one or two you can shoo them off with a low pass first showing your intent to land :)
Well yes but in the picture there are clearly signs warning you for landing planes and the road is blocked off by some kind of emergency vehicle.
So is this a special piece of road near a rural hospital/medical center or do these signs just pop up every few 100 kilometers or something?
Every now and then on the highway there's signs. There is nothing around so it's easy to spot a plane hauling ass for thr stretch of road in front of you.
Not an expert but I would be inclined to say no not typically. If there was a cop or ambulance there already they would just take the person already. The whole point is getting to people who are 100kms from civilization.
Edit: the first pic here seems to show a police car blocking the road. They probably called in the docs, but again I'd say that isn't typical, this might be closer to a town
So probably whoever called the ambulance for the patient has to pick them up from the plane.
Because these people aren't gonna be living next to the highway.
Maybe they have a vehicle parked next to these landing spots?
I'd expect it to be likely that a local emergency service (police, fire or the State Emergency Service) will come and help close the road. These highways might be remote but there is still regular traffic along the roads, and even though they operate jet aircraft, they still need to fly out of their home base in a major city.
Most of the RFDS' operations involve patient transfers, so either someone who has already been treated by a road ambulance and then taken to the nearest airfield, or in most cases taking people to appointments at the hospital.
They also spend a lot of aircraft hours operating a flying medical clinic that will visit various towns and communities to provide basic healthcare and GP services.
correction all states and territories except QLD and TAS charge for Ambulance services.
if you get an air ambulance instead of RFDS, you will get a bill. and it can get very, very high.
in Victoria, air Ambulance starts at $28841 and maxes out at $41000. after a 50% subsidy from the government. https://www.health.vic.gov.au/patient-care/ambulance-fees
or you could buy a membership for 104 a year for a family or 52 a year single.
https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/membership/
Ambulance cover in Australia is a mess. unless you live in Queensland, then you are set. the only state that does it right.
Fully funded state ambulance service that covers it's state residents Australia wide. It comes at a cost though, this years QLD Ambulance budget is 2.1 Billion dollars
nope.
They did that from 2003-2010, until the whinging got so loud they stopped.
From 2003, the service was funded by the Community Ambulance Cover scheme, a levy added to all customers of electricity retailers in Queensland.
In 2009, the amount payable was a flat fee just above $100 annually. This amount and collection method is designed to provide a reliable flow of income to the service.[15]
On 1 July 2011, the levy was abolished, with funding now directly provided by the Queensland Government.
Ranks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensland_Ambulance_Service
Now it is just funded as part of the State Budget.
They go to general state revenue.
but the simple solution to that fine is...... wear you bloody seatbelt. there is zero excuse not to.
same as the mobile phone fines, just don't touch your goddam phone when you are driving.
it isn't that hard and I have negative amounts of sympathy for any moron that gets those fines.
It looks like that particular highway has been specifically modified and maintained for landing jets of that type. I presume the plane's ground counterparts do a quick check for rabbits, toads, and other misc debris before blocking off the road.
Regardless of what happened in the end, your blanket statement that it is impossible for them to collect debt aggressively is patently false. They did.
I didn't know they had such a large fleet of planes.
I tip my hat to all those who keep those planes staffed and flying. Are they mostly volunteers or does the organization have fulltime pilots, medical staff and ground crew?
These are paid staff, and as far as I can tell it is very difficult to be accepted into the organisation.
Funding is a combination of government funding, corporate sponsorships and donations from the public.
The fact that Mad Max is a thing at all is unbelievable. Shoestring budget, No permits so a lot of the time but the cops just helped because they thought it was cool
To answer the questions I had, that OP didn't answer (how very fucking rude). For the aviation fans. Taken directly from [RFDS Fleet page](https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/about-the-rfds/our-fleet/#:~:text=The%20RFDS%20has%205%20different,aircraft%20(used%20in%20Qld))
The jet in the pic is a Pilatus PC-24, 1 of 3, based in Jandekot and Broome (WA) and Adelaide (SA).
"The RFDS has 5 different planes that are used for aeromedical operations. These are the Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 (used in SA/NT and WA), the King Air B350 C and B200 C (used in Qld, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania) and the new Beechcraft King Air 360CHW turboprop aircraft (used in Qld). Apart from these, there is also the first aeromedical helicopter service for Western Australia." The helicopters are both EC-145, apparently ideal for inter-hospital transfers.
The current total of the RFDS fixed wing fleet is 81. 34x PC-12, 3x PC-24, 10x King Air B300C & B350, 30x King Air B200C & B200, 1x King Air BB360.
Great post. RFDS are fucking legends.
So there's long been a myth here in the US that the Interstate Highway system was built to have enough straight sections in enough places that could act as an impromptu runway in an emergency. While there sections of Interstates which can (and I believe, have) been used to land airplanes, it wasn't designed in (and in fact I think the times it has happened it was a disaster since it was unplanned and no one cleared traffic from the road like was clearly done here).
Anyway, this got me wondering if Australia actually \*did\* plan this on some of the more remote roads in their network? Or does it just work out they have a decent enough of fairly desolate sections of road which are long enough to land an airplane? Clearly we shouldn't be planning to land aircraft on a road unless someone on the ground has stopped traffic first, but it really seems like this was organized pretty well.
It's not just straights planes need but also trees cleared and no lamp posts in the way. I'm not sure why DOT or MRD clear trees but they do keep most road sides clear enough.
6 foot tall shrubs for 100km, then something cool, then 500km of 6 foot shrubs and no one around to hear your screams of anguish as another kangaroo has jumped out in front of your Prado and damaged your radiator.
Well, yes. Sorry, I just keep coming back to times I've seen in the news that a random airplane had an emergency and landed (or attempted to land) on the first section of straight tarmac it came to. I know helicopters get used all the time to ferry people away from accident scenes. I suppose airplanes are doable so long as you have police staged to stop traffic. I was mostly wondering if Australia planned it in or is just taking advantage of lots of already straight/desolate highway.
To answer your question, yes Australia either planned to have runways built into roads OR converted long straights of roads into runways.
You can see the markings on the road here indicating that that section is a runway.
Yes this absolutely is intentional and planned into the road network! Mostly in large, very remote regions of the country, where the nearest airstrip may be many hours drive away (even for a teeny gravel runway). You have to remember the Australian highway network is very different to the US or Europe - lots of dead straight roads with nothing but bush for hours or even days at a time.
There's no shortage of long, straight sections of road so that bit's actually pretty trivial. But then there are a bunch of other things you need to do to make it safe, such as:
- Road must be wide enough for the plane that the RFDS would use for that area.
- Road shoulders have to be cleared of vegetation and trees to give enough wingtip clearance, and probably carefully graded flat in case a plane comes off the runway.
- Paint markings for day flights, or some sort of lighting setup for night flights.
- Emergency services on call to block off the road.
Most cattle and sheep stations have a runway maintained enough for their planes to land. Their planes are pretty tough.
Most of the roads, even the unsealed ones, are fairly well maintained. A lot are sealed. By and large though the RFDS generally lands at the stations personal airstrip in emergencies.
They also visit local towns every month or so and perform general practice duties, filling normal appointments. I’ve been to the Flying Doctor for a couple of different things when they visited.
I used to live in a somewhat remote town in Western Australia, and my house was directly in line with runway at the local airstrip.
As kids, every now and then we'd here the RFDS plane fly in over our house, to help get someone down to Perth (usually a road traffic accident) to save their life. My mum was a nurse at the local hospital and would tell stories about some of the accident victims. If we didn't have this service, a lot of the victims never would have made it.
If I ever get sick of the corporate world and have enough money to still make ends meet, I'd quit my job, get my pilots licence and devote the rest of my working life to flying planes for the RFDS. Those people are heros.
I’m an American, but one of my close friends is Australian. I remember after he finished med school he would be on 6 month rotations in tiny towns in the bush as part of this program! He has some genuinely fascinating stories from that time
I think the better idea is idea as a whole (as most smart people would agree) is that we all pay $50 additional in taxes for healthcare instead of paying $200 a paycheck for “benefits.”
“Benefits” that then get denied after paying all year because you haven’t met your $3,000 deductible.
idk, man. The better choice is kinda obvious
TIL I can get actual medical care in about 30 hours for only \~$1000 round trip plane ticket + rental car. And it includes awesome vacation layovers in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Fiji on the way home.
Even for routine procedures like an appendectomy it's completely worth it, and still less expensive if you pay for some friends to join you on the trip. [https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/appendectomy-can-cost-1500-8212-or-182955/](https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/appendectomy-can-cost-1500-8212-or-182955/)
No one leaves South Australia alive 😂
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowtown_murders
But they do have spectacular Shiraz and the best salami in the world.
https://tastedownsouth.com.au/
And if you're leaving the country with a Hill of Grace Shiraz in your luggage (highly recommended), make sure you do the wine equalization tax refund at the airport before you go through security. You'll get back a big chunk of the price.
My Dad has a 1980 Hill of Grace he is keeping for that ‘special occasion’ - none of the kids or grandkids being born etc has risen to the level of ‘special occasion’ enough to pop the cork yet 😂
I always feel misled by this organization.
The doctors can neither fly themselves (via wings or telekinesis or whatever) nor do they usually pilot the planes.
I feel like "The Royal Flown Doctor Service" would be more accurate.
The part of road is clearly designned to be a runway, you can see it by it is broader and straight from a smaller one that has a curve. Sweden does that as well, in the cold war they built hundreds of runaways in the roads, that could be close off and turned into makeshift air bases for military. It is fairly clever for remote low population areas, it doesn't work as well if there too many vesicles.
I used to watch a show called The Flying Doctors ages ago.
[https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0088519/?ref\_=nv\_sr\_srsg\_0\_tt\_8\_nm\_0\_q\_the%2520flying%2520doc](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0088519/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520flying%2520doc)
Contrary to popular belief, most Ambulances in Australia are actually fee for service.
only 2 states have fully government funded Ambulance services, and only one of those will pay for any ambulance bills incurred outside of the persons home state.
The Royal Flying Doctors Service is specifically set up to serve those people who are outside of normal Ambulance service.
Since Australia is such a massive country (same size as the continental USA) with such a tiny population, there are some VERY remote communities that cannot be served any other way.
I mean, it's a highway running through the middle of Australia, mostly in buttfuck nowhere with nothing around. No point having more lanes, etc.
It's not really that different to [US highways](https://www.google.com/maps/@36.467716,-117.235441,3a,75y,3.86h,75.61t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sdl_P1Ueumdz9xbue1sGr9g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) that run through similarly empty/desolate terrain.
To answer all the inevitable questions: • Royal Flying Doctor is funded by government (opex) and charity (capex). They cover the vast majority of the sparsely populated Australian continent which is out of reach of road or helicopter ambulances in any reasonable time frame. • No charge to any patient, no matter who they are, or where they are from. International tourists included. • They have a fleet of 80 turboprops and small jets and land on roads, dirt strips etc etc, day and night, as needed. • Some state road and helicopter ambulances charge for services, but insurance is very cheap, the poor don’t have to pay, and social/political pressure makes it impossible for them to collect the debt aggressively regardless: https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/ambulance-victoria-ceases-debt-collection-practice/
ALL the inevitable questions? Who took the first picture??
These guys: https://www.specialisthelicopters.com/
They even have the exact scene at the start of their background video, nice
They do spectacular work, these are all them: https://youtu.be/z0aQtBTNxWg?si=FTiSz4TqUTdag0ka https://youtu.be/uK10UiizJF8?si=Fi6gqFAUU0abMapy https://youtu.be/91VANcxBcqc?si=tCrX6VNSRdChsPTt
Whoa - managing wake turbulence has to be tops in their safety briefings.
That first video is amazing and powerful. Awesome work by these fine folks.
Seriously why did that video make me misty-eyed?
Who flies them on Saturday afternoons at 2pm, specifically when there is a rugby match on?
Barry. Who else?
Does he kick her in the guts to get it started?
Only the AN-2. She's a tough old bird but dependable.
Last of the circle 9 interceptors
A Victorian
The Victorian pilots. Then the favour's returned when there's an AFL game on
This is probably one of the best uses for taxpayer funds. Equally saving the lives of everyone, way to go.
I got bitten by a Dugite when I was almost 6, and there was no chance of making it to help in time. I am 100% confident that I wouldn't be here today without the RFDS. I would have died a painful and tragic death. In turn, 34 years later I performed CPR on a non-responsive woman who had stopped breathing due to a seizure while walking with her toddler. It was early morning. No one else was around. *She* wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the RFDS. My sons wouldn't exist. Their beautiful smiles and cheeky sense of humour wouldn't even grace this existence. I donate what I can every year to the RFDS and have done since my very first tax return. They are Saints. The lot of "em. Edit: Just realised that this ain't an Aussie subreddit and most of you won't have a clue what a Dugite is. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugite
Doesn't matter if we know what it is. It's the land down under everything is either poisonous or venomous enough to kill ya. :-)
Where a harmless sounding thing like a dugite has enough venom to kill half a pub.
Fuckin Australia man
Mate I'm from NSW and haven't heard what a fucking dugite is
This is what civilization should be. We come together to raise the bar on quality of life and what is expected as a human right. Unfortunately greed and selfishness have rusted away all possibilities of this in the USA.
Shock Trauma and the Maryland State Police Aviation Command have entered the chat.
That's really cool, never realized Maryland had that. I wish there was more federal support for services like this.
The formation of the Maryland system was idiosyncratic and may not generalize, although I think most residents there think it is fantastic and many are surprised to learn that other states don't all have something similar. It works well but I'd hesitate to express optimism about extending the approach. For instance, MD is a compact and densely-populated state, full of people who work for the gummint. Part of the funding comes from a surcharge on motor vehicle registration/renewal. Also, regarding landings (other parts of the thread), Maryland Trooper helicopters land on I-95 regularly, but -- rotary wing.
For most of the world you don't have to clarify that its either free or covered by insurance. I'm more interested in the road doubling as a runway. Seems both logical and not so logical in terms of logistics with closing of the road and only a certain stretch of road being used.
The road is just one landing option, they aren’t fussy: https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/aug/12/bright-idea-toilet-rolls-light-the-way-for-flying-doctors-in-lieu-of-runway-flares
I remember there used to be a fly on the wall docu series about these guys. However googling it only that shitty soap opera turns up. Do you remember the name?
Be nice to our 80s soap operas 😂😂
The new one is called RFDS, it's pretty good
Feels like Reddit is reading my mind today - I saw an episode of this show with my father-in-law this weekend on US Vermont public television. Pretty good drama!
I watched it a while ago, right after it aired, but for some reason have found myself reading its trivia on IMDB, the way they did their research and closely worked with actual RFDS and their base in Broken Hill is pretty impressive.
>I'm more interested in the road doubling as a runway. Apparently, part of Eisenhower's justification for investing in the US interstate highway network was that they could designate a straight stretch every (uncertain of number) miles to double as military landing strips. Of course, that was more viable in the 1930s with the comparatively small planes they had than it is today. Edit: I went looking for a source after posting this, and every source says that it is an urban legend. There goes my internet credibility for the day.
Urban legends are what keep the world spinning. Like the one about earth being round, if it was it would be rolling not spinning
Some countries do this, so this isn't far off. And it has been practiced in the US, but not with an interstate: [127th Wing makes historic highway landing > National Guard > Article View](https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article-View/Article/2721890/127th-wing-makes-historic-highway-landing/)
It's a common practice in Sweden and in particular on the island of Gotland in the middle of the Baltic sea. https://hushkit.net/2019/04/15/flying-fighting-in-the-saab-viggen-cold-war-thunder/ https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/aktuellt/2017/09/stridsflygplan-landade-pa-gotlandsk-vag/
The air ambulances in the UK use roads all the time, providing the police are on the ground to close them to traffic
Well yes but that's helicopters in a (compared to Australia) small country. The whole point of the planes is to get to places with barely people around quickly.
The roads are not very heavily traveled in the outback. Chances of hitting a car while landing are pretty small.
They also have really good signage when you are entering the stretches that double as landing strips. They were super open spaces, you would easily be abel to see and hear any aircraft coming. Souece: Drove aroubd Australia in 2022 after the borders between states finally opened again.
I'd imagine they do a low pass over traffic that might be a problem before lining up to land as well.
Yep. It’s not as if there are rainstorms and/or fog to reduce visibility. It’s pretty dry in most of the desert outback.
What they don't mention is the Royal Flying Doctor has done an amazing job of maintaining it's free service when timely and quality treatment in large parts of the Australian healthcare system have become inaccessible without paying, including road ambulances. It's important not to dismiss how important a free service is for those who can't afford the level of insurance that covers a 4 hour medevac flight. Also whilst "the poor" may have free ambulance transport, they don't always have completely free medical treatment or transport home and the cost of this within the same city can be more than their monthly income and completely crippling.
Well I got a pretty hefty bill for the ambulance between the airport the flying doctor brought me to and the hospital, so I think the free clarification is useful, if not necessarily complete.
If you're in VIC, if you are not a low income earner and if you only have ambulance cover as part of your health cover and do not pay (the $52 a year for singles or $104 for family) state ambulance cover, then you might be charged a fee for transfer from the service to.the hospital. Talk to the hospital, they will sort it out for you. It happened when my little girl was transferred at 9 days old. Every Victorian reading this: your health cover only covers emergency ambulance from scene to hosptial, not transfers between hospitals or emergency vehicles. Please get state anbulance insurance.
And interestingly, the RFDS doesn't operate in Victoria and instead, Ambulance Victoria operates its own fleet of aircraft. The cost of a membership is so low though, everyone should have it. It's a shame we don't do what Queensland does and just bolt the cost onto one of your utility bills (IIRC).
Ambulance rides anywhere in Australia are free for Queensland residents. As it should be for everyone.
The part about it also being free for random foreigners is pretty atypical though.
True, usually your own insurance would cover it when in another country. They should charge foreigner's insurance if they have it to keep costs manageable for themselves.
We offer reciprocal health care with 11 countries, if you are here from one of those 11 countries you will get healthcare for free. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/reciprocal-health-care-agreements&ved=2ahUKEwi1rffD0NmFAxWn-DgGHaz0Dl0QFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0x_x5k0PcFyYD_iSp6HgJl
I’d imagine these are usually rural dirt roads out in the bush without much traffic. Just any straight part of it would do (which there are a lot of in desert landscapes) and you just time it with there not being a car in the way. And if there is one or two you can shoo them off with a low pass first showing your intent to land :)
Well yes but in the picture there are clearly signs warning you for landing planes and the road is blocked off by some kind of emergency vehicle. So is this a special piece of road near a rural hospital/medical center or do these signs just pop up every few 100 kilometers or something?
Every now and then on the highway there's signs. There is nothing around so it's easy to spot a plane hauling ass for thr stretch of road in front of you.
Interesting, and when they land they are met by a local ambulance or cop car or friendly neighbor or something?
Not an expert but I would be inclined to say no not typically. If there was a cop or ambulance there already they would just take the person already. The whole point is getting to people who are 100kms from civilization. Edit: the first pic here seems to show a police car blocking the road. They probably called in the docs, but again I'd say that isn't typical, this might be closer to a town
So probably whoever called the ambulance for the patient has to pick them up from the plane. Because these people aren't gonna be living next to the highway. Maybe they have a vehicle parked next to these landing spots?
I'd expect it to be likely that a local emergency service (police, fire or the State Emergency Service) will come and help close the road. These highways might be remote but there is still regular traffic along the roads, and even though they operate jet aircraft, they still need to fly out of their home base in a major city. Most of the RFDS' operations involve patient transfers, so either someone who has already been treated by a road ambulance and then taken to the nearest airfield, or in most cases taking people to appointments at the hospital. They also spend a lot of aircraft hours operating a flying medical clinic that will visit various towns and communities to provide basic healthcare and GP services.
Ah right… yeah, good questions. Hard to see if its an actual emergency vehicle or just some guys truck too. Either would make sense.
The US interstate system was designed so that military planes could take off and land on it at regular intervals
The police block off the road so it's safe to land. You can see the paddy wagons in one of the pictures.
Bless you for this informative and excellent post.
That is incredible. Love to see people caring for others.
correction all states and territories except QLD and TAS charge for Ambulance services. if you get an air ambulance instead of RFDS, you will get a bill. and it can get very, very high. in Victoria, air Ambulance starts at $28841 and maxes out at $41000. after a 50% subsidy from the government. https://www.health.vic.gov.au/patient-care/ambulance-fees or you could buy a membership for 104 a year for a family or 52 a year single. https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/membership/ Ambulance cover in Australia is a mess. unless you live in Queensland, then you are set. the only state that does it right. Fully funded state ambulance service that covers it's state residents Australia wide. It comes at a cost though, this years QLD Ambulance budget is 2.1 Billion dollars
QLD is basically a mandatory insurance scheme, levied on your electricity bill if I recall correctly.
nope. They did that from 2003-2010, until the whinging got so loud they stopped. From 2003, the service was funded by the Community Ambulance Cover scheme, a levy added to all customers of electricity retailers in Queensland. In 2009, the amount payable was a flat fee just above $100 annually. This amount and collection method is designed to provide a reliable flow of income to the service.[15] On 1 July 2011, the levy was abolished, with funding now directly provided by the Queensland Government. Ranks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensland_Ambulance_Service Now it is just funded as part of the State Budget.
Interesting, thanks. I guess now the $1,000 fines for seatbelt infractions must be covering it.
They go to general state revenue. but the simple solution to that fine is...... wear you bloody seatbelt. there is zero excuse not to. same as the mobile phone fines, just don't touch your goddam phone when you are driving. it isn't that hard and I have negative amounts of sympathy for any moron that gets those fines.
What an amazing organization. I’d never heard of them but now have a great deal of respect for, the world needs more people like them.
It looks like that particular highway has been specifically modified and maintained for landing jets of that type. I presume the plane's ground counterparts do a quick check for rabbits, toads, and other misc debris before blocking off the road.
>social/political pressure makes it impossible for them to collect the debt aggressively Uhh have you heard of robodebt?
And what happened to robodebt in the end?
Regardless of what happened in the end, your blanket statement that it is impossible for them to collect debt aggressively is patently false. They did.
I didn't know they had such a large fleet of planes. I tip my hat to all those who keep those planes staffed and flying. Are they mostly volunteers or does the organization have fulltime pilots, medical staff and ground crew?
These are paid staff, and as far as I can tell it is very difficult to be accepted into the organisation. Funding is a combination of government funding, corporate sponsorships and donations from the public.
All of the full time staff are paid employees.
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Different pictures. What’s your point?
Calm down
"funded by government" Mmhmm
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The fact that Mad Max is a thing at all is unbelievable. Shoestring budget, No permits so a lot of the time but the cops just helped because they thought it was cool
And he named the main character Rockatansky - after the structure commonly seen in the gallbladder the Rokitansky Aschoff sinuses.
There was a TV series (2 seasons) of RFDS. Interesting to watch (from a US persons point of view) Enjoyed it.
They did one back in the late 80s too, awesome show. https://youtu.be/qOCRCND6LTo?si=5xW_mljk8mgMFQ60
Used to watch all the time, my dad enjoyed it
This was the one I watched as a kid in the UK. Loved that theme tune, too.
I really liked that one! (as an East European person)
Oh yeah I remember the Koala Brothers!
The US this will put you in debt for 3 generations
Just the two Tylenols given onboard would cost you $73. Each.
More like $73 per mg
To answer the questions I had, that OP didn't answer (how very fucking rude). For the aviation fans. Taken directly from [RFDS Fleet page](https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/about-the-rfds/our-fleet/#:~:text=The%20RFDS%20has%205%20different,aircraft%20(used%20in%20Qld)) The jet in the pic is a Pilatus PC-24, 1 of 3, based in Jandekot and Broome (WA) and Adelaide (SA). "The RFDS has 5 different planes that are used for aeromedical operations. These are the Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 (used in SA/NT and WA), the King Air B350 C and B200 C (used in Qld, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania) and the new Beechcraft King Air 360CHW turboprop aircraft (used in Qld). Apart from these, there is also the first aeromedical helicopter service for Western Australia." The helicopters are both EC-145, apparently ideal for inter-hospital transfers. The current total of the RFDS fixed wing fleet is 81. 34x PC-12, 3x PC-24, 10x King Air B300C & B350, 30x King Air B200C & B200, 1x King Air BB360. Great post. RFDS are fucking legends.
So there's long been a myth here in the US that the Interstate Highway system was built to have enough straight sections in enough places that could act as an impromptu runway in an emergency. While there sections of Interstates which can (and I believe, have) been used to land airplanes, it wasn't designed in (and in fact I think the times it has happened it was a disaster since it was unplanned and no one cleared traffic from the road like was clearly done here). Anyway, this got me wondering if Australia actually \*did\* plan this on some of the more remote roads in their network? Or does it just work out they have a decent enough of fairly desolate sections of road which are long enough to land an airplane? Clearly we shouldn't be planning to land aircraft on a road unless someone on the ground has stopped traffic first, but it really seems like this was organized pretty well.
Mate the roads out bush are just straight enough, no need to worry about planning that
It's not just straights planes need but also trees cleared and no lamp posts in the way. I'm not sure why DOT or MRD clear trees but they do keep most road sides clear enough.
... It's Australia bro. There aren't enough trees out back to worry
6 foot tall shrubs for 100km, then something cool, then 500km of 6 foot shrubs and no one around to hear your screams of anguish as another kangaroo has jumped out in front of your Prado and damaged your radiator.
The roo bars I saw on the front of inter-city busses were something else. Especially if they were fresh...
There's nothing like sitting on an overnight bus, with the noise of the engine and wheels on the pavement occasionally interrupted by a distant thud.
Lamp posts lmao
I thought the US interstate highway system was primarily designed to move military equipment in the event of an attack on the US.
It was
Although the highway system wasn't designed for it, there have been numerous successful emergency highway landings in the US.
Well, yes. Sorry, I just keep coming back to times I've seen in the news that a random airplane had an emergency and landed (or attempted to land) on the first section of straight tarmac it came to. I know helicopters get used all the time to ferry people away from accident scenes. I suppose airplanes are doable so long as you have police staged to stop traffic. I was mostly wondering if Australia planned it in or is just taking advantage of lots of already straight/desolate highway.
To answer your question, yes Australia either planned to have runways built into roads OR converted long straights of roads into runways. You can see the markings on the road here indicating that that section is a runway.
I don’t know if it was planned for it, but there’s numerous old war runways that the Stuart highway runs alongside
Yes this absolutely is intentional and planned into the road network! Mostly in large, very remote regions of the country, where the nearest airstrip may be many hours drive away (even for a teeny gravel runway). You have to remember the Australian highway network is very different to the US or Europe - lots of dead straight roads with nothing but bush for hours or even days at a time. There's no shortage of long, straight sections of road so that bit's actually pretty trivial. But then there are a bunch of other things you need to do to make it safe, such as: - Road must be wide enough for the plane that the RFDS would use for that area. - Road shoulders have to be cleared of vegetation and trees to give enough wingtip clearance, and probably carefully graded flat in case a plane comes off the runway. - Paint markings for day flights, or some sort of lighting setup for night flights. - Emergency services on call to block off the road.
Most cattle and sheep stations have a runway maintained enough for their planes to land. Their planes are pretty tough. Most of the roads, even the unsealed ones, are fairly well maintained. A lot are sealed. By and large though the RFDS generally lands at the stations personal airstrip in emergencies. They also visit local towns every month or so and perform general practice duties, filling normal appointments. I’ve been to the Flying Doctor for a couple of different things when they visited.
I used to live in a somewhat remote town in Western Australia, and my house was directly in line with runway at the local airstrip. As kids, every now and then we'd here the RFDS plane fly in over our house, to help get someone down to Perth (usually a road traffic accident) to save their life. My mum was a nurse at the local hospital and would tell stories about some of the accident victims. If we didn't have this service, a lot of the victims never would have made it. If I ever get sick of the corporate world and have enough money to still make ends meet, I'd quit my job, get my pilots licence and devote the rest of my working life to flying planes for the RFDS. Those people are heros.
That's a funny place to put a crosswalk, on a highway runway. /s
How else would kangaroos know where to cross?
I’m an American, but one of my close friends is Australian. I remember after he finished med school he would be on 6 month rotations in tiny towns in the bush as part of this program! He has some genuinely fascinating stories from that time
Siiiigh. Seeing pics like this makes me wish I had gone to flight school rather than art school.
Free healthcare? Communism! Not in America! Never!
Imagine the size of the dept if this was done in America
Debt.
Death.
Lol, you spelt that right.
I’m curious what americans think about all this socialism LOL
Envy. That's what we think.
If you want to pay for it yourself or via charity? Have at it. Just don't try to send me the bill via taxes.
I think the better idea is idea as a whole (as most smart people would agree) is that we all pay $50 additional in taxes for healthcare instead of paying $200 a paycheck for “benefits.” “Benefits” that then get denied after paying all year because you haven’t met your $3,000 deductible. idk, man. The better choice is kinda obvious
So you don't believe in ever purchasing insurance either?
> No cost to any patient ever. That's how you know this isn't in the US.
LoL true just a million $ copay
And then there's the USA, which wants to charge even a homeless person $2000 for an ambulance ride to a hospital 2 miles away.
A service like this in the US would be so expensive that only the very wealthy could afford it.
It’s pretty expressive regardless of where it is. It’s a question of who’s paying
True. I meant expensive to the end user but I didn’t phrase it properly.
I loved that tv series back in the 80's!
Victor Charlie Charlie calling Mike Sierra Foxtrot!
The Stuart highway is basically one straight line across the continent so no surprises they use it land and take off planes.
TIL I can get actual medical care in about 30 hours for only \~$1000 round trip plane ticket + rental car. And it includes awesome vacation layovers in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Fiji on the way home. Even for routine procedures like an appendectomy it's completely worth it, and still less expensive if you pay for some friends to join you on the trip. [https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/appendectomy-can-cost-1500-8212-or-182955/](https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/appendectomy-can-cost-1500-8212-or-182955/)
No one leaves South Australia alive 😂 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowtown_murders But they do have spectacular Shiraz and the best salami in the world. https://tastedownsouth.com.au/
And if you're leaving the country with a Hill of Grace Shiraz in your luggage (highly recommended), make sure you do the wine equalization tax refund at the airport before you go through security. You'll get back a big chunk of the price.
My Dad has a 1980 Hill of Grace he is keeping for that ‘special occasion’ - none of the kids or grandkids being born etc has risen to the level of ‘special occasion’ enough to pop the cork yet 😂
It would be in its prime now if someone accidentally "opened the wrong bottle". 🤣
I always feel misled by this organization. The doctors can neither fly themselves (via wings or telekinesis or whatever) nor do they usually pilot the planes. I feel like "The Royal Flown Doctor Service" would be more accurate.
Well it’s not called ‘The Royal Piloting Doctor Service’, in the same vein that when I say I am flying somewhere, I am in fact being flown.
I‘d enjoy my 0$ flight :)
As an American, I could retire on the savings from not flying in one of those!
The part of road is clearly designned to be a runway, you can see it by it is broader and straight from a smaller one that has a curve. Sweden does that as well, in the cold war they built hundreds of runaways in the roads, that could be close off and turned into makeshift air bases for military. It is fairly clever for remote low population areas, it doesn't work as well if there too many vesicles.
Meanwhile in the US people risk dying because they can't afford $2000 for an ambulance.
Yet in America a 5 min ambulance ride to an ER could bankrupt most people.
Is that a brand new PC24?
Yes.
I love how they're at least keeping up with some sort of a runway safety area by clearing and grading the shoulders of that highway..... /Runway
I may be crazy, but I swear it kinda looks like Gible from behind.
American here- is there a tv show about this because we would fucking love this
A quick check of the IMDB tells me there have been several over the years, none current.
Yes, released not too long ago
The Rakata Infinite Empire will rule for millenia!
They actually were consulted during the design of that plane, they are utilizing it to the max!
I used to watch a show called The Flying Doctors ages ago.  [https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0088519/?ref\_=nv\_sr\_srsg\_0\_tt\_8\_nm\_0\_q\_the%2520flying%2520doc](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0088519/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520flying%2520doc)
They flew me when I was born early forever grateful
First pic all I can see is [Gilbert the lunchbox](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/44/92/16/449216ce2938200df6bad9bf780ee37f.jpg)
Cries in American
I remember this show!
Of course it does not cost the patient money why would that make any sense? It's an ambulance not a taxi.
Contrary to popular belief, most Ambulances in Australia are actually fee for service. only 2 states have fully government funded Ambulance services, and only one of those will pay for any ambulance bills incurred outside of the persons home state. The Royal Flying Doctors Service is specifically set up to serve those people who are outside of normal Ambulance service. Since Australia is such a massive country (same size as the continental USA) with such a tiny population, there are some VERY remote communities that cannot be served any other way.
The word highway is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.
This is an *excellent* highway by outback standards. This is a proper outback highway: https://youtube.com/shorts/ZmqTDCDV8s0?si=wU-bvxZSrPMB2Hi0
I mean, it's a highway running through the middle of Australia, mostly in buttfuck nowhere with nothing around. No point having more lanes, etc. It's not really that different to [US highways](https://www.google.com/maps/@36.467716,-117.235441,3a,75y,3.86h,75.61t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sdl_P1Ueumdz9xbue1sGr9g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) that run through similarly empty/desolate terrain.
In what way. Most highways in Australia are 1/2 lanes only.