Great to see a new and different aircraft type at the NSW Air Ambulance Base at Sydney Airport this afternoon. VH-FXJ is a "flying intensive care unit’"
based in South Australian, constructed in 2015 and entering the Australian Register on 8th August 2015. According to the Australian Aircraft Register,
the Royal Flying Doctor Service has 35 of the type in service across Australia.
VH-FXJ features state of the art avionics and emergency services communications technology, and will replace an aeromedical aircraft which has served
the SA community for the past 13 years, and transferred more than 10,000 patients.
The purchased of VH-FXJ was made possible by a capital grant from the Commonwealth Government, together with support from corporate sponsors,
and donations from members of the community. A major benefactor of the aircraft is Simon Hackett, who granted $600,000 from the Hackett Foundation
to fund the medical fit-out that converted this aircraft into a flying intensive care unit.
VH-FXJ is one of 11 medically equipped Pilatus PC-12 aircraft owned and operated by RFDS Central Operations across its Adelaide, Port Augusta and Alice
Springs Bases. The aircraft departed back to Adelaide at 1634L.
