Engineering ingenuity

How do you keep the vaccines cold once you turn off the aircraft and there’s no power supply? This was a challenge the RFDS’ engineering team in Perth could not resist taking on.

In delivering COVID-19 vaccines to remote and regional WA, RFDS crews travel long distances by air and road.

To ensure the success of the RFDS’ remote program, vaccines must be kept consistently at -70°C or below.

RFDS WA Engineering Manager Andy Lewis had a brain wave involving a specialised, very low temperature portable freezer, a battery box fitted with an aircraft gel battery and a battery charger. “We found a very simple and safe solution to keep the vaccines cold throughout the flight and on the ground during clinics.” Andy said. Another ingenious solution was found by Mike Chadwick, RFDS WA Senior Engineer to safeguard vaccine vials against aircraft vibrations.

Custom built holders were fabricated by Mike and his team to prevent shaking and to avoid the precious vials from bumping against each other.

These two examples really highlight that the simplest solutions are often the best.

Propel us forward

The RFDSWA engineering team plays an important role in keeping the Flying Doctor flying.  Donate at: rfdswa.com.au/spring