General News
30 July, 2026
Young heroes take flight
NOORAT Primary School students had the chance to experience how the life-saving efforts of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) unfold on a daily basis.
The RFDS brought its aeromedical simulator to the school on Monday, giving students the opportunity to step into the role of medical staff aboard a full-scale replica of an RFDS aircraft.
RFDS logistical site coordinator Wayne Detering said the simulator was a highlight for students in learning more about how the RFDS deploys its services to people in rural areas.
“We are part of the fundraising, marketing and education branch who brings the RFDS simulator across Victoria to shows, schools and everything in between,” he said.
“The simulator helps to make kids aware of what the RFDS is, where it came from and what it does these days.
“The kids love it, it’s a great piece of equipment to show them because they can play with the simulated medical equipment, see how the stretchers work and learn more about what goes on inside the plane.
“The big one is the simulators in the cockpit of the plane, so the kids actually get the chance to fly the plane.
“It’s a lot of fun for the students.”
RFDS ambassador Zoe Brimshaw said giving students the opportunity to climb aboard the full-scale replica simulator provided the unique educational benefit of not just being told how aero-
medicine works, but being shown first-hand.
“There are children all across Victoria who have probably never heard of the RFDS, in both inner-city and rural areas alike, so it’s really important to be able to visit schools,” she said.
“A lot of people think the RFDS is just the plane but we do a lot of other stuff as well from road transport to dental clinics.
“The kids love getting to see the simulator – even when we’re driving down the highway we see the smiles and people taking photos.
“It’s pretty cool inside with stations for doctors and nurses with medical equipment the kids can use, headphones so the kids can talk to each other to experience what being aboard is like and we’ve also got an in-built flight simulator so the kids can actually fly the plane – which is always the highlight.”
Noorat Primary School principal Ilona Watkins said she was proud to support students in learning more about health care services which are available to Australians.
“We love any opportunity our students can have which allows them to learn about the important services that we have in our country,” she said.
“This is such a fabulous way to do it because it is so hands-on and interactive.
“Some of the students will have heard of the RFDS, others will not even know it exists, so any awareness that we can bring is the point of what we do at school to support a complete education.”
Read More: Noorat