Into the Good Night
In a move designed to improve its ability to deal with the unique challenges of the Australian outback, the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section) recently invested $100 million on six brand new King Air B360 aircraft. The first pilot to fly the new aircraft was Deputy Head of Flight Operations Clayton Nankivell, spoke to Derek Royal about the new aircraft and what it means to be an RFDS pilot.
TOWNSVILLE AIRPORT, 1800 hrs
It’s 6.00 pm and RFDS (Queensland Section) pilot Clayton Nankivell arrives at Townsville Airport ready for a 10-hour shift. Nankivell’s first task of the evening is a routine backload that involves transferring an elderly female patient from Townsville to Mount Isa, and then returning with a pregnant woman aged in her 30s.
Nankivell has already been briefed by the day shift pilot, who has made him aware of any issues that may have arisen during the day. The discussion covered aircraftrelated concerns and other tasks that need to be addressed before Nankivell’s team can get started on what is expected to be a busy night.
Nankivell signs on for duty with the flight nurse before examining the weather conditions and NOTAMS relevant for the next 12 hours. He also checks any active restricted areas and significant weather problems he may encounter during the course of the night.
His ride is a pristine King Air B200, an aircraft type that has been a part of the RFDS fleet for several
