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Amid a global pilot shortage, the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) has opened a "one-of-a-kind" training facility in regional Queensland in a bid to attract more staff to the service.
The $30 million Aeromedical Training Academy in Bundaberg, 400 kilometres north of Brisbane, houses the only Beechcraft King Air Pro Line Fusion Full-Flight Simulator in Australia.
"It's as close as possible to flying without actually being in an aircraft," RFDS chief executive Meredith Staib said.
A dedicated facility for RFDS pilots is aimed at allowing them to fly for all conditions. (Supplied: RFDS)
"They [pilots in training] can obviously practise those emergency procedures, those things that you wouldn't want them to be doing in an aircraft."
The service provides primary health care, emergency medical and retrieval services across regional Australia.
It receives more than 200 daily call-outs.
Ms Staib said she hopes the new facility will help attract aspiring pilots into RFDS ranks.
"It's no secret there's a global pilot shortage at the moment," she said.
"Having our own facility … is a really important step forward for us."
Meredith Staib says the RFDS is feeling the global pilot shortage. (ABC Wide Bay: Grace Whiteside)
Ms Staib said the RFDS has been experiencing "availability issues" at its Roma base, including reduced services for its flying obstetrics and gynaecology services during the past six months.
"We're trying really hard to recruit and we have a network support of pilots that we move across the state to cover the shifts as much as we can," she said.
"The RFDS also forms part of a wider retrieval service network across the whole state, so there's multiple assets that can be used at any point in time."
Hundreds of pilots will be trained in the flight simulator in Bundaberg. (ABC Wide Bay: Grace Whiteside)
About 60 full-time equivalent pilots are employed by the RFDS, which is about 80 per cent capacity.
Ten more pilots are expected to be added to the books in the coming months.
"We've recruited pilots, but it takes time to train them to fly for all conditions for RFDS, so having our own facility will really make a difference," Ms Staib said.
RFDS pilots in Queensland will spend at least two weeks at the academy each year for ongoing training, and the facility will be available to other pilots and organisations across Australia.
Federal assistant minister for regional development, Anthony Chisholm, said the health service is vital for rural areas.
"This training facility is going to ensure that the RFDS can continue to service the needs of Queenslanders – quite often at their toughest time," he said.
"We know that there's skills challenges when it comes to aviation, so for the RFDS to have their own facility to provide that training is so important."