If you’ve driven out by the Bundaberg Airport recently you’ve no doubt seen a hive of activity.

There is a lot of construction happening and one of those projects is the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Aviation Training Facility.

Located next door to the joint RFDS and RACQ LifeFlight aeromedical base, the new facility will house the only Beechcraft King Air Full-Flight Simulator in Australia.

What does that mean for Bundaberg? It means that RFDS pilots from across Queensland and Australia will come here to complete their training.

Non-RFDS pilots will also be able to use the simulator for their endorsements or recurrent training on King Air B350/360 aircraft.

That’s an estimated 1,200 plus bed nights for visitors coming to use the facility which will give the Bundaberg region an economic boost.

The new simulator has been put through its paces in the United States and it’s expected to be shipped to Australia in the coming months.

Construction of the world class facility – which I secured $15 million in Federal Government funding as part of the Hinkler Regional Deal – is approximately halfway and is on target to be completed by the end of this year.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is a well-respected organisation which has been caring for local patients in their time of need for decades.

Living in regional and remote areas, quick, reliable access to medical treatment is the difference between good and bad outcomes.

It’s exciting to see the progress of this facility and I look forward to the Bundaberg region becoming a training hub for pilots across Australia and further afield.

KEITH PITT MP

Federal Member for Hinkler