Australia's LifeFlight Training Academy has been named as one of four finalists in the 'Outstanding Leadership in Training' category in the 2022 Aviation Aerospace Australia Airspace Awards.

Each year 1,500 aeromedical professionals are upskilled at the LifeFlight Training Academy (LTA), so they can perform life-saving treatment to people in need. The LTA is located within a purpose-built training facility situated in the heart of the Brisbane International airport precinct on Australia's east coast, offering simulations that teach aeromedical professionals to fly, winch and treat a patient on board an aircraft. The Thales LifeFlight Simulation Centre features a Thales Reality H AW139 helicopter full flight simulator, one of the most advanced of its type in the region, and provides a customer-focused environment for flight simulation based training.

LTA trainees can also learn aircrew and rescue crew duties, including how to winch using the virtual reality crew simulator, which can be adjusted to model either an AW139 or Bell 412 helicopter. Crew members carry out winch missions played through a virtual reality helmet, combined with the physical elements built into the simulator, such as harnesses, the winch wire and winch controller pendant.

For doctors, nurses and paramedics, the Academy also offers a state-of-the-art medical training simulator to practise saving lives from a helicopter. Instructors can set up emergency scenarios, recreating high pressure situations medical staff could face in the air, with the trainees 'treating' lifelike mannequins as the sound of real helicopters roars through the cabin.

"Our training is always fresh from the field as we collaborate with our active RACQ LifeFlight Rescue crews," says LTA general manager Peter Elliott. "What we learn in real emergencies one week, we are training in the LifeFlight Training Academy the next. This allows our trainees to be ready for anything and successful in their many endeavours in the aviation industry."

LifeFlight Australia has taken its training one step further with its First Minutes Matter programme, in which its trauma training is a free community safety education programme offered online and in-person by LifeFlight's experienced aeromedical team, teaching the skills of basic life support. The in-person workshops are already being hailed a huge success, with over 2000 Queenslanders now better equipped to help in the event of an emergency following the programme's launch in late 2021.

"It's important to us that high quality training can be accessed by both our internal crews and external clients," says LifeFlight Australia CEO Ashley van de Velde. "We are very proud to be recognised by our industry peers at Aviation Aerospace Australia."