1965 and the early base at Charters Towers moved to Cairns in 1972. The most recent new base was opened in Broome in 2016. Aircraft The first aircraft operated by the "Aerial Medical Service" in 1928 was a de Havilland DH.50 hired from the fledgling Qantas. It was replaced in 1934 by a DH.83 Fox Moth. During the 1930s and 1940s the fleet consisted of a mix of de Havilland DH.50s, DH.83 Fox Moths, DH.84 Dragons, DH.104 Doves and the de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover. From the 1950s to 1970s, the fleet included the Beechcraft Baron, Beechcraft Travel Air, Beechcraft Queen Air, Beechcraft Duke, Cessna 180, Cessna 182, Cessna 421, Piper Cherokee and Piper PA-31 Navajo. Aircraft were provided by contractors until the 1960s. Subsequently, the RFDS owned its own aircraft and employed its own pilots and engineers. In the 1970s and 1980s the RFDS base at Broken Hill operated the Australian-made GAF Nomad. From the 1980s to 2000s, the fleet included the Cessna 404 and Cessna 441. For a time in the mid-2000s the aeromedical evacuation aircraft used were either the Pilatus PC-12 or the Beechcraft King Air 200 series. The internal configuration of these two aircraft varies in the different RFDS sections. Typically they are configured with two rear-facing seats which look onto two stretchers. In some aircraft, one stretcher can be removed quickly and two seats slipped into place instead. The PC-12, PC-24 and King Air are pressurised and so can be used to safely transport patients who would not otherwise tolerate the decreased atmospheric pressures involved in non-pressurised aircraft. The internal cabin pressure can be maintained throughout the flight at that of sea level. This is important for patients critically sensitive to pressure changes. In addition, pressurised aircraft can fly at a sufficiently high altitude to be above turbulent weather conditions. This is of great benefit in providing an environment safe for the patient and staff, and also limits complications of aeromedical transport such as motion sickness and exacerbation of injuries such as unstable fractures. In October 2009 the standardisation on the two aircraft types ended when two Cessna 208B Grand Caravans and a Hawker 800XP joined the fleet. The South Eastern Section operates 18 King Airs (B200, B200C, B300C); The Queensland Section operates 20 King Airs (B200, B200C, B300C) and 3 PC-12s; The Western Operations operates 16 PC-12s and 2 PC-24; and Central Operations operates