Royal Flying Doctor Service Tourist Facility

This self-guided visit gives you a look inside the history of the Royal Flying Doctor Service at its original Alice Springs working base, which opened in 1939. It covers how remote medical care worked before modern communications, with historic radios, old medical equipment and displays showing how RFDS aircraft changed over the decades. There’s also interactive technology and a virtual reality experience that puts you in the shoes of a patient on an RFDS flight.

Once inside, you can move through the museum-style displays at your own pace. You’ll see communication equipment including a Traeger Pedal Radio, alongside medical gear once used on past RFDS flights. Model aeroplanes trace the development of the fleet through each decade, while interactive exhibits introduce figures including Alf Traeger and Nurse Kathy. A standout part of the visit is the VR experience, where you can relive what a patient flight was like with an RFDS pilot. Entry is included, and the facility is wheelchair accessible, pram-friendly and suitable for all fitness levels.