• The 350C is designed for flying heavy loads across long distances. (Textron Aviation)
    The 350C is designed for flying heavy loads across long distances. (Textron Aviation)
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Australia's Royal Flying Doctor Service has bought two new Beechcraft King Air 350C heavy weight aircraft.

The two specialised cargo aircraft will serve with the RFDS Queensland branch.

Beechcraft's King Air 350C Heavy Weight model includes a built-in airstair and cargo door and offers an increased payload of 635 kg. The large cargo door is beneficial for the RFDS aeromedical operations, as it gives greater access for loading and unloading patients and medical equipment.

Nino Di Marco, Chief Executive Officer, RFDS (Queensland Section) is eagerly awaiting the two new King Air 350s, explaining that  “the enhanced payload capability of 1,400 pounds will enable us to better fulfil our patient transport obligations in what is a dynamic and ever changing aero-medical environment.

“The new additions to our fleet of Beechcraft aircraft will be immensely beneficial to our patients both in terms of their comfort and the timeliness of our operations. The increased flying distance of the King Air 350s will provide our flight operations team with more flexible transport options, and provide long-term cost savings, which are extremely important to us as a not-for-profit organisation.”

The first of the two 350Cs will arrive in Australia next April and will undergo a comprehensive medical fit-out before being incorporated into the RFDS’s existing fleet.

The RFDS will use the aircraft to provide a combination of aeromedical emergency retrieval services and inter-hospital patient transfers across its network of regional bases, which stretches up the Queensland coast from Brisbane to Cairns and out west to  Mount Isa and Charleville.

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