RFDS Highway Airstrips
RFDS Roadside Airstrips: Lifelines in the Outback
Driving through outback Queensland, we started noticing something unusual…massive white markings painted across the road. At first, we thought they were oversized pedestrian crossings, but as we got closer, the words “RFDS AIRSTRIP” became clear. These weren’t just road markings. They were Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) emergency airstrips. Lifelines in one of the most remote regions on earth.
Out here, medical help isn’t just around the corner. Hospitals are hundreds of kilometres away, and in an emergency, a plane might be the only way to get someone to care in time. That’s where these roadside airstrips come in. When needed, local police or emergency services shut down the highway, clearing space for an RFDS plane to land right on the road.
Seeing these airstrips in person gave us a new appreciation for just how vital the RFDS is. We rely on highways for travel, but for many people living remotely, these same roads double as runways that could save a life.
It’s a simple yet brilliant solution—using the infrastructure already in place to make remote healthcare possible. Next time we drive over one of these airstrips, we’ll remember the people who depend on them and the incredible work of the RFDS.
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The Royal Flying Doctor Service
The RFDS was founded in 1928 by Reverend John Flynn, who recognised the need for rapid medical support across Australia’s vast inland. Today, it’s one of the largest and most respected aeromedical organisations in the world, delivering emergency care and primary health services to people in some of the most remote corners of the country.
With bases spread across the outback, the RFDS fleet can reach patients hundreds of kilometres from the nearest hospital. Their aircraft are essentially flying intensive care units, fitted with the latest technology and staffed by highly skilled doctors and nurses.
Why Highway Airstrips Exist
Australia’s outback is too vast to be dotted with traditional runways everywhere they might be needed. Instead, certain sections of long, straight highways have been reinforced and widened to act as emergency landing strips. These sections are clearly marked, with signage alerting drivers, and can be closed off quickly when a plane needs to land.
It’s a uniquely Australian solution…turning the very roads we drive on into lifelines from the sky.
What to Know if You See One
Keep them clear – Never park or stop on an RFDS-marked stretch of highway.
Follow signage – Signs will indicate if the section is an emergency airstrip.
Respect the space – They may look like just another piece of road, but to someone in crisis, they can mean survival.
When to Visit / Notice Them
You’ll spot RFDS highway airstrips mostly across Queensland and the Northern Territory on long, isolated roads. They aren’t tourist attractions in the traditional sense, but rather reminders of just how far communities are from city hospitals, and how vital the RFDS is to keeping people safe and connected.
Final Thoughts
Seeing those airstrips scattered across the highway changed the way we thought about outback travel. They’re easy to overlook, but once you know what they mean, they become symbols of care and resilience. Out here, the RFDS isn’t just important — it’s everything.
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